High-speed flip-chip InP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with ultralowcapacitance and large gain-bandwidth products

Planar InP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have been fabricated by adopting a flip-chart configuration and a monolithic lens structure. These APDs exhibit an ultralow capacitance of 70 fF, a quantum efficiency of 80%, a wide bandwidth of 7 GHz, and a large gain-bandwidth product of 80 GHz     

Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Thermoelectric and Magnetic Nanoparticle Composite Materials

Application of a magnetic field greatly enhances the thermoelectric efficiency of bismuth-antimony (Bi-Sb) alloys. We synthesized a hybrid of Bi-Sb alloy and magnetic nanoparticles, expecting improvement of the thermoelectric performance due to the magnetic field generated by the nanoparticles. Powder x-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements of the synthesized hybrid Bi_0.88Sb_0.12(FeSb)_0.05 sample indicated that the ferromagnetic FeSb nanoparticles, with a size of about 30 nm, were distributed in the main phase of the Bi-Sb alloy. The FeSb nanoparticles act as soft ferromagnets in the diamagnetic host Bi-Sb alloy. The electrical resistivity ρ of the host Bi_0.88Sb_0.12 sample decreased concomitantly with decreasing temperature, showing a shoulder at 80 K. In contrast, ρ for the hybrid sample was enhanced below 100 K because of carrier scattering by the nanoparticles. The temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient S was also altered by the nanoparticle addition. In contrast, the addition of magnetic nanoparticles only slightly influenced the thermal conductivity κ. These results indicate that the addition of magnetic nanoparticles to thermoelectric materials modulates the electronic structures but does not influence the lattice system.     

High-power 1.55-μm mass-transport-grating DFB lasers forexternally modulated systems

High-output-power operation of 1.55-μm-wavelength distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers with a novel mass-transport grating (MTG) structure which is composed of InAsP buried with InP are reported. To improve high output power characteristics, we have investigated the influence of the width of the active layer on the light output power and the spectral linewidth at high injection current. It is confirmed that the increase of the active layer width is effective to realize high output power and to reduce the linewidth power product. The fabricated lasers show high single-longitudinal-mode output power of 180 mW, which is the highest value reported for 1.55-μm DFB lasers. They also exhibit narrow spectral linewidths less than 0.3 MHz and low noise characteristics of -159 dB/Hz. Moreover, we have obtained the mean time to failure of longer than 10⁵ h with a lifetime test over 200 h at 50°C     

Phospholipids plus tocopherols increase soybean oil stability

The phospholipids (PL), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were purified from commercial soybean lecithin by silicic acid chromatography and preparative silica gel thin layer chromatography (TLC). Purified phosphatidylinositol (PI) was obtained commercially. Phosphatidic acid (PA) was made from PC by phospholipase D action and purified by preparative TLC. Commercial soybean tocopherols (TOC) were further purified in a florisil column. Combinations of PL and TOC were added to commercially refined, unhydrogenated soybean oil to determine the effects and interaction of PL and TOC on soybean-oil stability. Oil stability was determined by measuring the time in days of oil samples incubated at 110C to reach a peroxide value of 100 meq/kg. Additions of TOC and all PL except PA increased the stability of the oil. PI and PE appear to be more effective than PC in increasing oil stability. The effect of the PL was not simply a matter of pro-oxidant metal inactivation, but rather appeared to extend the effectiveness of the TOC in free-radical termination.     

Exergy analysis of the woody biomass Stirling engine and PEM-FC combined system with exhaust heat reforming

The woody biomass Stirling engine (WB-SEG) is an external combustion engine that outputs high-temperature exhaust gases. It is necessary to improve the exergy efficiency of WB-SEG from the viewpoint of energy cascade utilization. So, a combined system that uses the exhaust heat of WB-SEG for the steam reforming of city gas and that supplies the produced reformed gas to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM-FC) is proposed. The energy flow and the exergy flow were analyzed for each WB-SEG, PEM-FC, and WB-SEG/PEM-FC combined system. Exhaust heat recovery to preheat fuel and combustion air was investigated in each system. As a result, (a) improvement of the heat exchange performance of the woody biomass combustion gas and engine is observed, (b) reduction in difference in the reaction temperature of each unit, and (c) removal of rapid temperature change of reformed gas are required in order to reduce exergy loss of the system. The exergy efficiency of the WB-SEG/PEM-FC combined system is superior to EM-FC.     

Safety assessment of genetically engineered potatoes with designed soybean glycinin: compositional analyses of the potato tubers and digestibility of the newly expressed protein in transgenic potatoes

The compositions of transgenic potatoes with intact and modified genes for soybean glycinin were compared with those of control potatoes; non-transgenic or transgenic ones with a vector. The expression levels of glycinin proteins in the transgenic potato tubers were approximately 12–31 mg g⁻¹-total soluble protein. With reference to six major components, moisture, protein, lipid, fiber, ash and carbohydrate, there were no significant differences between transgenic and control potatoes. The levels of glycoalkaloids in transgenic potato tubers, as well as in transgenic controls, increased in comparison with those in non-transgenic ones, though the level was within the permitted limit. The modified glycinin expressed in the transgenic potato tuber was digested under the simulated gastric conditions. From these results, the transgenic potatoes with intact and modified glycinin genes are considered to be as safety utilization for food as non-transgenic potatoes. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

KCa1.1 K+ Channel Inhibition Overcomes Resistance to Antiandrogens and Doxorubicin in a Human Prostate Cancer LNCaP Spheroid Model

Several types of K⁺ channels play crucial roles in tumorigenicity, stemness, invasiveness, and drug resistance in cancer. Spheroid formation of human prostate cancer (PC) LNCaP cells with ultra-low attachment surface cultureware induced the up-regulation of cancer stem cell markers, such as NANOG, and decreased the protein degradation of the Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channel K_Ca1.1 by down-regulating the E3 ubiquitin ligase, FBXW7, compared with LNCaP monolayers. Accordingly, K_Ca1.1 activator-induced hyperpolarizing responses were larger in isolated cells from LNCaP spheroids. The pharmacological inhibition of K_Ca1.1 overcame the resistance of LNCaP spheroids to antiandrogens and doxorubicin (DOX). The protein expression of androgen receptors (AR) was significantly decreased by LNCaP spheroid formation and reversed by K_Ca1.1 inhibition. The pharmacological and genetic inhibition of MDM2, which may be related to AR protein degradation in PC stem cells, revealed that MDM2 was responsible for the acquisition of antiandrogen resistance in LNCaP spheroids, which was overcome by K_Ca1.1 inhibition. Furthermore, a member of the multidrug resistance-associated protein subfamily of ABC transporters, MRP5 was responsible for the acquisition of DOX resistance in LNCaP spheroids, which was also overcome by K_Ca1.1 inhibition. Collectively, the present results suggest the potential of K_Ca1.1 in LNCaP spheroids, which mimic PC stem cells, as a therapeutic target for overcoming antiandrogen- and DOX-resistance in PC cells.     

Fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of cone orifice jet (effects of cone angle)

The use of a jet from an orifice nozzle with a saddle‐backed‐shape velocity profile and a contracted flow at the nozzle exit may improve the heat transfer characteristics on an impingement plate because of its larger centerline velocity. However, it requires more power to operate than a common nozzle because of its higher flow resistance. We therefore initially considered the use of a cone orifice nozzle to obtain better heat transfer performance as well as to decrease the flow resistance. We examined the effects of the cone angle α on the cone orifice free jet flow and heat transfer characteristics of the impinging jet. We compared two nozzles: a pipe nozzle and a quadrant nozzle. The first one provides a velocity profile of a fully developed turbulent pipe flow, and the second has a uniform velocity profile at the nozzle exit. We observed a significant enhancement of the heat transfer characteristics of the cone orifice jets at Re=1.5×10⁴. Using the cone orifice impinging jets enhanced the heat transfer rates as compared to the quadrant jet, even when the jets were supplied with the same operational power as the pipe jet. For instance, a maximum enhancement up to approximately 22% at r/d_o?0.5 is observed for α=15^°. In addition, an increase of approximately 7% is attained as compared to when the pipe jet was used. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20243