Thermodynamic assessment of the phase diagrams of the Cu-Sb and Sb-Zn systems

Thermodynamic assessments have been made for the Cu-Sb and Sb-Zn binary systems by means of the CALPHAD technique. The Gibbs energies of the liquid, bcc, and fcc phases are described by a substitution solution model and a Redlich-Kister formalism. All of the compounds were treated as stoichiometric compounds. Moreover, the liquidus temperatures of the Zn-rich portion in the Sb-Zn system were measured to check the unusual shape reported by previous work. It was confirmed that the liquidus line is not peculiar but smooth. A consistent set of the thermodynamic parameters was optimized to obtain a better fit between calculated results and experimental data including phase diagram and thermodynamic quantities.     

Microstructural changes upon annealing in ODS-strengthened ultrafine grained ferritic steel

In this study, the stability of grain size and oxide nanoparticles in the ODS steel upon annealing at high temperature (650–1350 °C) has been evaluated. The ODS Fe–Cr–W–Ti–Y₂O₃ steel has been manufactured by powder metallurgy, consolidated by hot isostatic pressing and processed by hydrostatic extrusion. Such a processing brings about ultrafine grain structure reinforced with oxide nanoparticles (few nm in diameter) and results in superior mechanical properties. The stability of nano-oxides has been analyzed by small angle X-ray scattering together with transmission electron microscopy. The results obtained revealed excellent thermal stability of ultrafine grained ODS ferritic steel, which was attributed to the resistance of oxides against coarsening.     

日本国立大学的发展趋势

在日本高等教育改革的进程中,国立大学处于改革的风口浪尖。本文以＂远山计划＂为切入口深入分析了日本国立大学改革中存在的问题及改革可能带来的影响：随着国立大学结构改革方针发生变化,重组与合并问题被提上日程,大学办学将引入民营理念和第三方参与的评价机制,法人化改革中将面临挑战并呈现自身特征。这些改革措施会对国立大学和私立大学产生一定影响。     

Free standing bulk metallic glass microcomponents: Tooling considerations

Bulk metallic glasses have enormous potential for use in small-scale devices such as MEMS and biomedical components. Thermoplastic forging of free standing components poses challenges unlike those seen when forging crystalline materials. Central to these challenges is the simultaneous advantage/disadvantage that BMGs flow readily into small features and asperities in the dies and molds. Whilst useful for replicating patterned surfaces, this quite often makes non-destructive removal of components quite difficult, with disproportionate extraction forces and specialized tools required to overcome friction and mechanical locking. Several solutions to this extraction problem were explored, including high temperature extraction, lubrication and the use of materials with low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) as die/mold materials. We show that the use of appropriately chosen low CTE die materials offers a superior method to remove BMG components from dies/molds at room temperature. The criteria for selecting the appropriate die material, cavity size and extraction temperatures are outlined.     

Interfacial Reaction between Zn-Al-Based High-Temperature Solders and Ni Substrate

The Zn-Al(-Cu) eutectic alloys (melting point 381°C) are candidates for use as Pb-free high-temperature solders as a substitute for Pb-based solders, which are suitable for severe working environments such as the engine room of hybrid vehicles equipped with an inverter system as well as a heat engine. In this study, the interfacial reaction between Zn-Al(-Cu) alloys and the Ni substrate during soldering, aging, and thermal cycling was investigated. Semiconductor chips and Ni substrates were soldered with Zn-Al(-Cu) alloys at various temperatures under a nitrogen atmosphere. The soldered assemblies were then heat-treated at 200°C and 300°C to examine the microstructural evolution at the soldered interface. The effect of severe thermal cycles between −40°C and 250°C in air on the microstructure and fracture behavior at the solder joint was investigated. Even after a 1000-cycle test, the thickness of the Al₃Ni₂ layer formed at the interface between the Zn-Al-based solder and the Ni substrate, which is responsible for the damage of the soldered assemblies, was quite small.     

Diploid porcine parthenotes produced by inhibition of first polar body extrusion during in vitro maturation of follicular oocytes

We investigated nuclear progression and in vitro embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation of porcine oocytes exposed to cytochalasin B (CB) during in vitro maturation (IVM). Nuclear progression was similar in control oocytes and oocytes matured in the presence of 1 microg/ml CB (IVM-CB group) by 37 h IVM; at this time the proportion of oocytes that had reached or passed through the anaphase-I stage did not differ significantly between the IVM-CB and the control groups (61.3 and 69.9% respectively; P < 0.05). After IVM for 37 h, no polar body extrusion was observed in the IVM-CB group. In these oocytes, the two lumps of homologous chromosomes remained in the ooplasm after their segregation and turned into two irregular sets of condensed chromosomes. By 41 h IVM, the double sets of chromosomes had reunited in 89.5% IVM-CB oocytes and formed a single large metaphase plate, whereas 68.8% of the control oocytes had reached the metaphase-II stage by this time. When IVM-CB oocytes cultured for 46 h were stimulated with an electrical pulse and subsequently cultured for 8 h without CB, 39.0% of them extruded a polar body and 82.9% of them had a female pronucleus. Chromosome analysis revealed that the majority of oocytes that extruded a polar body were diploid in both the control and the IVM-CB groups. However, the incidence of polyploidy in the IVM-CB group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In vitro development of diploid parthenotes in the control and the IVM-CB groups was similar in terms of blastocyst formation rates (45.8 and 42.8% respectively), number of blastomeres (39.9 and 44.4 respectively), the percentage of dead cells (4.3 and 2.9% respectively), and the frequency of apoptotic cells (7.3 and 6.3% respectively). Tetraploid embryos had a lower blastocyst formation rate (25.5%) and number of cells (26.2); however, the proportion of apoptotic nuclei (7.0%) was similar to that in diploid parthenotes. These results suggest that the proportion of homozygous and heterozygous genes does not affect in vitro embryo development to the blastocyst stage.     

High-performance reflective STN-LCD with a blazed reflector

Abstract— A reflective super-twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display (STN-LCD) using a blazed reflector is proposed. Application of the blazed reflector improves luminance and contrast ratio in reflective LCDs by directing the reflected image toward the observer and also by misaligning it from the direction of the surface reflection. The reflector needs proper scattering to eliminate casting a background by a specular image. Therefore, we studied two methods: one which makes the surface of the reflector uneven and the other which applies light-scattering material between the display and the reflector. Key features include almost a doubling in brightness and contrast ratio using the blazed reflector with the light-scattering material. Moreover, good white representation is obtained to optimize the refractive index in the normal direction of the retardation film.     

Consideration of wheel slip and readhesion control for induction traction motor electric locomotives with individual traction control

We have developed a readhesion control algorithm of the traction inverter for individual motor control locomotives. This paper describes improvements in dealing with wheel slip and readhesion control for individual‐axle electric locomotives. The major torque control is based on feedback of the difference between the basic speed of the locomotive and the individual axle speed. By combining two torque control methods, we have obtained better readhesion characteristics: little influence of dynamic axle load transfer and a high achievable coefficient of adhesion exceeding 30%. These torque control characteristics were estimated test runs and the stability limits of feedback gain are shown. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 169(3): 56–64, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20883     

Design method for a new control system for an autonomous underwater vehicle using linear matrix inequalities

The independent administrative corporation Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has developed a small light autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) named marine robot experimental 1 (MR-X1).¹ The motion control of MR-X1 is considered in this article. Since the dynamics of MR-X1 mainly depends on its own speed, the motion control is a nonlinear control system. We propose a new controller design method for this system using linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). This algorithm gives a solution as a linear matrix inequality, and can be adapted to solve many LMIs simultaneously. LMIs can be obtained by substituting several speeds into the dynamics of the MR-X1. The proposed controller, which can be derived from the solution of the LMIs, was adapted to MR-X1 and showed good performance in experiments. This work was presented in part at the 11th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 23–25, 2006