Suppression of photo-induced dilation in cyanide treated hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

Effects of cyanide (CN) treatment with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films have been investigated. The decrease of ΔV/V was observed in cyanide treated a-Si:H films and the successive thermal annealing at 200°C after CN treatment induced the further reduction of the ΔV/V. XPS spectra show the indirect evidence that the cyanide species is present within 10 nm from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon surface. The results of CN treatment with a-Si:H solar cells are demonstrated.     

Evaluation of static and dynamic fracture toughness in ductile cast iron

Crack extension behavior and fracture toughness of ductile cast iron were examined by three-point bend tests, where various detection methods of crack initiation under static and dynamic loading conditions were adopted. Loading on the specimens was interrupted at various displacement points, and the final fracture surfaces of the specimen were observed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD) obtained under the dynamic loading condition was smaller than that under the static loading condition in ferritic ductile cast iron, and CTOD additionally decreased with increasing pearlite content in the matrix. The relationship between J (ΔC) obtained by the compliance changing rate method and J(R) established by the intersection of the crack extension resistance curve and the theoretical blunting line varied with pearlite content. The average value of .J(ΔC) and J(R), that is J (mid), was proposed to define the fracture toughness of ductile cast iron; J (mid) was considered to be a reasonable measure for the fracture toughness of ductile cast iron, irrespective of loading condition and the pearlite content in the matrix.     

Quantitative trait loci affecting 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced tongue carcinogenesis in the rat

The incidence of tongue carcinomas (TCs) induced by oral administration of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide in rats is strain dependent. The inbred Dark-Agouti (DA) strain showed a much higher susceptibility to large mass-forming infiltrative TCs than did the Wistar-Furth (WF) strain. Our previous study (M. Kitano et al, Jpn. J. Cancer Res., 87: 1097-1101, 1996) on crosses between these two strains postulated a dominant susceptibility gene in DA and a dominant resistance gene in WF rats. The present study mapped these loci by analyzing the backcrosses to each parent with simple sequence repeat polymorphisms. Five quantitative parameters were analyzed: (a) the number of TCs > 5 mm in diameter; (b) the total number of TCs per rat; (c) the diameter of the largest TCs (DTCmax values); (d) the number of non-TC cancers per rat; and (e) and the number of cancers of any site per rat. All of these parameters were closely correlated (P < 0.0001). DA rats had a semidominant gene (Stc1) favoring the development of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced cancers on chromosome 19, closely linked to D19Mit9. Peak linkage was observed 4 cM distal from D19Mit9, with a logarithm of the odds (lod) score of 5.72 for the number of large TCs and 6.08 for the DTCmax. On the other hand, WF rats had a semidominant gene (Rtc1) mapped between D1Mit1 and D1Mit3, approximately 20 cM from D1Mit1, with a peak lod score of 3.30 for both the number of large TCs and the DTCmax. The main effect of Rtc1 seemed to be to reduce the size of the TCs. The action of these genes was dose dependent and cooperative. The final incidence of TC in DA, WF, F1, and backcross rats seemed to be explained by combinations of genotype at these two loci. Possible candidate genes for Stc1 and Rtc1 are discussed.     

Theory of rough surface effects on the anisotropic BCS states

We present a Green's function theory of the rough surface effects on the anisotropic BCS states using the formulation developed in the randomly rippled wall model. It is shown that the randomly rippled wall formulation is general enough to treat rough surface effects from the specular limit to the diffusive limit. We propose a statistical wall configuration such that gives the diffusive limit in the normal state. Within the weak coupling theory, we give a formal solution of the quasi-classical Green's function in a slab geometry and in a semi-infinite geometry with arbitrarily rough surfaces. The formal solution already satisfies the boundary condition. In the diffusive limit, the present theory correctly recovers the linearized gap equation obtained by Kjäldman et al. for the p-wave state in a slab geometry.     

30 GHz pulse train generation from a multiquantum well electroabsorption intensity modulator

Stable optical pulse trains with repetition rates as high as 20-30 GHz have been successfully generated at 1.55 mu m from an InGaAs/InAlAs multiquantum well electroabsorption modulator for the first time.<>     

Changes in extracellular nitrite and nitrate levels after inhibition of glial metabolism with fluorocitrate

The role of glial cells in nitric oxide production in the cerebellum of conscious rats was investigated with a glial selective metabolic inhibitor, fluorocitrate. The levels of nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite plus nitrate) in the dialysate following in vivo microdialysis progressively increased to more than 2-fold the basal levels during a 2-h infusion of fluorocitrate (1 mM), and the increase persisted for more than 2 h after the treatment. Pretreatment with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester attenuated the fluorocitrate-induced increase in nitric oxide metabolite levels. None of the glutamate receptor antagonists, including D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, and (+/-)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine, inhibited the fluorocitrate-induced increase. The L-arginine-induced increase was significantly reduced by fluorocitrate treatment, while N-methyl-D-aspartate, (+)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid, and trans-(+/-)-1-amino-(1S,3R)-cyclopentane-dicarboxylic acid increased nitric oxide metabolites levels in the fluorocitrate-treated rats, as much as in control animals. These results suggest that glial cells play an important role in modulating nitric oxide production in the cerebellum by regulating L-arginine availability.     

Bonding silicon wafer to silicon nitride with spin-on glass as adhesive

Using spin-on glass (SOG) as an adhesive, an Si wafer with thermal oxide was successfully bonded to one with an RF-sputtered Si3N4 film. This ensures that SOG films are effective in bonding Si wafers to less reactive surfaces than Si or SiO2 such as silicon nitride. It was also found that the previously reported bonding procedure can be simplified by suppressing the spin-induced radial striations of the SOG films.     

Efficient photodiode-waveguide coupling for hybrid integrated optical circuits

A GalnAsP edge-detecting photodiode was coupled with an SiO2-TiO2 single-mode waveguide in a simple hybrid integration scheme. The newly developed edge-detecting photodiode with a window region was used to improve photodiode durability.     

Multiobjective dynamic load-dispatching method for optimal operation of power systems

A new practical method is proposed which gives a quasi-optimal solution of the dynamic load-dispatching problem formulated by a multiconstraint multiobjective optimization problem. Here, the multiple constraints are rate reserve constraints and power flow ones, and the multiple objectives are fuel cost and CO₂ emission. The proposed method is an integration of the following three techniques: (1) “Group Dispatch Scheme,” which is developed by the authors, is used to satisfy a violated constraint easily. This scheme consists of three steps. The first step is to classify all generators into two groups. One is the group which should be more loaded to satisfy the violated constraint, and the other is the should-be less loaded group. The second step is to add some load to the former group, and to subtract the same load from the latter. The third step is to dispatch each group load to each groups generators, respectively; (2) the dynamic load-dispatching algorithm is used which provides, in practical time, quasi-optimal generation trajectories; (3) the conventional weighting parametric method is used to obtain a Pareto optimal solution of multiobjective problems. The effectiveness of the method is clarified by a computer simulation on the actual power system of Kansai Electric Power Company.     

An image processing system using Image Signal Multiprocessors (ISMPs)

This paper describes an image processing system using Image Signal Multiprocessors (ISMPs) adapted to gray-level image preprocessing for image analysis and image enhancement. It is composed of four ISMPs, five 1H-delay-lines, two 512×512×8-bit frame memories, a video timing controller (VTC), two 256-word ×8-bit ×8-table Look Up Tables (LUTs) and 80 nsec/sampling A/D and D/A converters. This multiprocessor system performs convolution operations such as spatial filters, contrast enhancement, and binarization for gray-level images, thinning, thickening, pattern matching etc. for binary images, and image quality improvement for moving images such as T.V. images. Otherwise, it performs feature extraction operations such as area calculations, fillet coordination, and moment calculations for objective image data. Moreover, this system is capable of applying color image processing by using a multiboard system.