Bendable and Splitter-Integrated Optical Subassembly Based on a Flexible Optical Board

A bendable and splitter-integrated optical subassembly (OSA) is suggested as a short-distance board-to-board optical interconnection. This OSA was fabricated by simply packaging a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser on a flexible optical board having an embedded 1 $times$ 8 optical splitter waveguide. Finally, we measured various optical characteristics of the OSA, including insertion, twist, and bending losses.      

A 12 b 8 kS/s 16 μW 0.35 μm CMOS algorithmic ADC for sensor interface in ubiquitous environments

This work proposes a 12 b 8 kS/s ultra-low-power CMOS algorithmic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for sensor interface applications such as accelerometers and gyro sensors requiring high-resolution, low-power, and small size simultaneously. The proposed ADC employs switched-bias power reduction and bias sharing circuits to minimize chip area and power dissipation. A signal-insensitive all directionally symmetric layout technique based on a double-poly CMOS process reduces capacitor mismatch in the multiplying D/A converter for 12 b-level high accuracy without additional conventional calibration schemes. Two independently generated currents with the same negative temperature coefficient are subtracted from each other to implement temperature- and supply-insensitive current and voltage references on-chip. The prototype ADC in a 0.35 μm 2P4M CMOS technology demonstrates a measured differential non-linearity and integral non-linearity within 0.15 and 0.56 LSB at 12 b and shows a maximum signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio and spurious-free dynamic range of 68 and 77 dB at 8 kS/s, respectively. The ADC with an active die area of 0.70 mm² consumes 16 μW at 8 kS/s and 2.5 V.     

Examining the factors that influence early adopters’ smartphone adoption: The case of college students

The influence of early adopters on potential adopters’ decisions of whether or not to adopt a product is known to be critical. In this paper, we examine the factors that influence the adoption behavior of smartphone early adopters by looking at smartphone adoption behavior of college students, because a large portion of the early adopters of smartphones are college students. Our focus is on the effect of normative peer influence on a college student’s smartphone adoption. We also examine the influence of other factors such as self-innovativeness, self-efficacy, the decision maker’s attitudes towards a product, financial burden of using the product, familial influence, and other demographic factors (e.g., age and gender). College students’ adoption behavior is studied using logit and probit choice models developed based on random utility theory. The discrete choice models are empirically estimated using survey data. We find important influence of friends, financial burden, and other family members on the smartphone adoption of college students who adopted smartphones earlier than other students.     

Efficiency enhancement in organic solar cells by configuring hybrid interfaces with narrow bandgap PbSSe nanocrystals

We hereby present an incorporation technique for inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) in organic solar cells (OSCs) for the improvement of power conversion efficiency (PCE). Ternary PbSSe NCs constitute stable conformations with regular poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C₇₀ butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) organic composites under two heterojunction systems, and significant solar performance modification was obtained, depending on the incorporation type. Bilayer heterojunction (Bi-HJ) SCs, in which a pristine NC layer is sandwiched between the organic composite and cathode, showed significantly broadened photon-harvesting resulting from combination of both layers and energetic carrier transport as a result of reduced recombination losses. In contrast, bulk heterojunction (BHJ) SCs comprising combined composites of P3HT:PCBM:NCs in a single layer suffered from inefficient charge transport as a result of ubiquitous charge traps. Use of Bi-HJ cells with an NC layer of optimal thickness greatly enhanced the short-circuit current (J_SC) to 10.54 mA cm^?2 and a PCE of 3.12% was achieved; this is a 31% improvement over the conversion efficiency of purely organic cells without NCs. The separate PbSSe NC layer coupled well with the organic composite to provide a broad-range photon-harvesting ability and vertically efficient interfacial junctions for systematic charge transport; this greatly enhances the photovoltaic performances of the OSCs.     

A Colorimetric Hydrocarbon Sensor Employing a Swelling‐Induced Mechanochromic Polydiacetylene

Exceptional challenges have confronted the rational design of colorimetric sensors for saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (SAHCs). The main reasons for this difficulty are the extremely nonpolar nature of these targets and their lack of functional groups that can interact with probes. By taking advantage of a mechanochromic conjugated polydiacetylene (PDA) and the hydrocarbon‐induced swelling properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a sensor film that enables simple, colorimetric differentiation between a variety of C5 to C14 aliphatic hydrocarbons is fabricated. The unprecedented PDA–PDMS composite sensor undergoes a blue‐to‐red colorimetric transition on a timescale that is dependent on the chain length of the hydrocarbon target. In addition, the development of the red color is directly proportional to the swelling ratio of the film. This straightforward approach enables naked‐eye differentiation between n‐pentane and n‐heptane. The versatility of the sensor system is demonstrated by using it for the colorimetric determination of kerosene in adulterated diesel oil. Finally, the observation that a PDA microcrystal in the film undergoes significant expansion and tearing in concert with a blue‐to‐red colorimetric transition during the swelling process provides direct evidence for the mechanism for the mechanochromic behavior of the PDA.     

Submillimeter transmission spectra of Sr2Ca2Cu4Oy

Transmission spectra of Sr₂Ca₂Cu₄O_y, which is a part of high T_c superconducting system Bi₂Sr₂Ca_n?1Cu_nO_z, and their temperature evolutions were investigated by monochromatic quasioptical submillimeter spectroscopy. Strong increase of high frequency conductivity in the range 80 to 350K was revealed. The obtained results were analyzed on basis of thermally activated carriers model.     

Microbial removal of Fe(III) impurities from clay using dissimilatory iron reducers

Fe(III) impurities, which detract refractoriness and whiteness from porcelain and pottery, could be biologically removed from low-quality clay by indigenous dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms. Insoluble Fe(III) in clay particles was leached out as soluble Fe(II), and the Fe(III) reduction reaction was coupled to the oxidation of sugars such as glucose, maltose and sucrose. A maximum removal of 44-45% was obtained when the relative amount of sugar was 5% (w/w; sugar/clay). By the microbial treatment, the whiteness of the clay was increased from 63.20 to 79.64, whereas the redness was clearly decreased from 13.47 to 3.55.     

Cloning and functional analysis of the Aspergillus oryzae conidiation regulator gene brlA by its disruption and misscheduled expression

We cloned the brlA gene from Aspergillus oryzae genomic DNA using the A. nidulans brlA gene as a probe. A 3.1-kb EcoRI-BalI genomic DNA fragment was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed 70% identity with A. nidulans BRLA and contained two C2H2 zinc finger motifs in its carboxyl terminus, and the promoter sequence contained a 43-bp highly conserved region, indicating that the cloned gene was an A. oryzae homologue of A. nidulans brlA. Disruption of the brlA gene by homologous recombination resulted in the loss of ability to form conidiophores. These results suggest that the brlA gene of A. oryzae plays a fundamental role in controlling conidiophore development. When the brlA gene was expressed under the control of the amyB promoter in A. oryzae transformants, highly differentiated and compact colonies were observed on a solid medium. The misscheduled expression of the brlA gene in submerged culture, in which conidiation does not normally occur, caused the development of complex conidiophore structures with vesicles, phialides and conidia.     

Fermentation of rice using amylolytic Bifidobacterium

Twenty-two amylolytic bifidobacteria grown in BHI-starch media were compared for the amylase activity of the intra- and extra-cellular enzymes. The activity of the cells grown in the liquid medium differed considerably. Among the strains tested B. adolescentis Int57 and B. adolescentis ZS8 exhibited higher activities than others. In rice medium containing 0.05% -cysteine·HCl and 0.2% yeast extract, the amylolytic Bifidobacterium strains grew considerably better than non-amylolytic Bifidobacterium strains. B. adolescentis Int57, which showed highest growth and amylase activity in the rice medium, was chosen and rice fermentation was investigated. The titratable acidity (TA) reached 2.43 and pH decreased to 4.4 after 24 h fermentation. The relative ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid gradually decreased during fermentation. The concentration of reducing sugar and amylase activity gradually increased and reached 14 mg maltose equivalent/ml and 35 mU/ml min, respectively, in 24 h. The accumulated reducing sugar was mostly maltotriose. The layer-separation of fermented product was stabilized by the addition of 1% gelatin. It was suggested that amylolytic bifidobacteria may be used for the production of fermented rice products.