Characteristics of calculus fragmentation with Er:YAG laser light emitted by an infrared hollow optical fiber with various sealing caps

We have experimentally quantified calculus fragmentation by Er:YAG laser light. Er:YAG laser light was delivered to an underwater target through a sealed hollow optical fiber. Fragmentation efficiency was obtained for an alumina ball used as a calculus model when sealing caps with various focusing effects were used. Three types of human calculus were analyzed, and their absorption properties at the wavelength of Er:YAG laser light were obtained. The relationships among the absorption properties, calculus constituents, and fragmentation efficiency are discussed.     

Erbium:YAG laser lithotripsy by use of a flexible hollow waveguide with an end-scaling cap

An Er:YAG laser light delivery system composed of a polymer-coated silver hollow waveguide and a quartz sealing cap has been developed for calculus fragmentation. Sealing caps with various distal-end geometries were fabricated, and the focusing effects of these caps for Er:YAG laser light were measured both in air and in water. Owing to the high power capability of the quartz a beam of sealing caps, Er:YAG laser light with an output energy of 200 mJ and a repetition rate of 10 Hz was successfully transmitted in saline solution by use of the system. Calculus fragmentation experiments conducted in vitro showed that the delivery system is suitable for medical applications in lithotripsy. We also found that the cap with a focusing effect is more effective in cutting calculi. The deterioration of the sealing caps after calculus fragmentation is also discussed.     

13C NMR longitudinal relaxation time studies of a molecular tweezers derived from a calixarene-porphyrin conjugate

Zn(II)porphyrin-substituted calix[4]arene 1 serves as molecular tweezers for 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2] octane (DABCO) selectively, which led to the formation of Ensemble I. The molecular segments composing the calixarene cavity change upon inclusion of DABCO as Ensemble I were evaluated through (13)C NMR longitudinal relaxation times (T(1)) for the first time. As for Ensemble I, the 1:1 complex should be formed. The T(1) values for Ensemble I are generally smaller than those for 1: in CDCl(2)CDCl(2), DT1 = 5.03 s for C-1, 5.31 s for C-2, 0.13 s for C-3, 0.7 s for C-4, and 0.16 s for C-5. This substantiates that the rings of Ensemble I are firmly freezed because of the two-point coordination by DABCO. In 1, the T1 values for C-3 are always greater than those for C-4, and the difference between C-3 and C-4 is slight. As for Ensemble I, on the other hand, the difference between C-3 and C-4 is large. We can suggest two different motions for phenol units in 1 and Ensemble I: a rotational motion around a C-1 to C-4 axis (A) and a seesaw motion around a C-2 to C-2' axis (B). The data indicate that in Ensemble I motion (A) is predominant over motion (B). This indicates that motion (B) is specifically suppressed because of the two-point coordination interactions in Ensemble I.     

Photocurrent generators derived from non-covalently assembled soft-matter molecular system

It is rather difficult to design a multilayer photocurrent generator system on the ITO electrode, however, the preparation of thin film with high surface concentration of donor units is indispensable in order to achieve high conversion efficiency. The polymer film of porphyrin bearing pyroles on the electrode was prepared by the potential sweep method. It was indicated that the self-aggregation can be suppressed by encapsulation of the porphyrin unit in the cavity of macro-cyclic host molecule, cyclodextrin. We established the non-equilibrium host-guest system with porphyrins and cyclodextrins for the first time. The photocurrent density and the quantum yield in the porphyrin-cyclodextrin system are remarkably improved. It was demonstrated that the high quantum yield, perhaps 25 times larger, arises from the isolation of the porphyrin unit by cyclodextrin through host-guest interactions.     

台阶式泄水建筑物的消能分析

应用重力相似准则,对台阶式泄水建筑物的消能进行了系统的模型试验研究.结果表明,当坡角θ=5.7°～60°,相对临界水深hk/h≤3以内,跌落水流、过渡水流和滑行水流三种流况条件下的消能率基本相同,其消能率随相对坝高(hdam/hk)增加而增大,随坝坡变陡而减小.台阶段消能率与消力池消能率之间的关系为,随坝坡变陡,台阶段的消能率逐渐变小,消力池的消能率逐渐增大,也就是说,台阶段和消力池之间的消能率之差随坝坡变陡而逐渐加大.台阶高度对消能率影响很小,大约只有1%左右,消能率随流量增大而减小.     

Coprecipitation synthesis of Ca14Al10Zn6O35:Mn4+ deep-red phosphor and silica-modified waterproofing ability

Ca₁₄Al₁₀Zn₆O₃₅:Mn⁴⁺ (CAZ:Mn) phosphor material, which shows deep-red luminescence, was synthesized by the coprecipitation (COP) method using a Na₂CO₃/NaOH solution as the precipitant. COP–CAZ:Mn phosphor exhibited a 2.1 times higher luminescence intensity than the corresponding phosphor prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction (SSR) method. This substantial increase in luminescence was mainly ascribed to the existence of a greater proportion of tetravalent manganese in COP–CAZ:Mn phosphor. Furthermore, COP–CAZ:Mn phosphor was modified with SiO₂ via hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) to waterproof the compound because it is easily decomposed through hydrolysis under humid conditions. The SiO₂-modified CAZ:Mn phosphor maintained its crystal structure and high photoluminescence intensity after the water-resistance test. Therefore, waterproof CAZ:Mn phosphor with a high luminescence intensity was successfully discovered by utilizing the coprecipitation method and SiO₂ modification.     

Kinetics of chlorination of uranium–antimony composite oxide for uranium removal from waste catalyst used for acrylonitrile synthesis

For uranium removal from waste catalyst used for acrylonitrile synthesis, kinetics of chlorination of uranium–antimony composite oxide was studied. During the chlorination treatment with hydrogen chloride gas at a partial pressure of 0.6–6.7 kPa and 873–1173 K, the uranium–antimony composite oxide, USb₃O_10, which was contained in the waste catalyst converted to another composite oxide, USbO₅, then changed to uranium oxide. Both reaction rates of the conversions, from USb₃O₁₀ to USbO₅ and from USbO₅ to U₃O₈, were described by a first order function of the fraction of USb₃O₁₀ and USbO₅, and their activation energies under the condition at 1.0 kPa hydrogen chloride gas were almost same values at (8.0 ± 0.4) × 10⁴ J mol^?1.