The effects of a detuned optical input on bistable laser diodeswith inhomogeneous current injection

The effects of an external optical input on a bistable laser diode (BLD) with inhomogeneous current injection are discussed. The bistable behavior of optical output versus injection current is shown to be variously modified, depending on the wavelength and power of the optical input. Optical set and reset operations and optical logic achieved by optical input pulses can be explained by these characteristics of a BLD modified by an external optical signal. Analysis using rate equations is also offered to help interpretation of experimental results, as well as the optical output and the bias current injected into the BLD     

Fatigue behavior of carburized steel with internal oxides and nonmartensitic microstructure near the surface

The characteristic fatigue behavior of carburized and quenched steel with internal oxides and non-martensitic microstructure near the surface was presented through rotating bending fatigue test. The S-N diagram revealed two knees and the specimens continued to fail over 10⁷ stress cycles. The fatigue limit could not be obtained even at 10⁸ stress cycles. The test results were compared to those for the specimens without surface structure anomalies to show the effect of structure anomalies on the fatigue behavior of carburized steel.     

Mechanical properties of molybdenum neutron-irradiated at a high temperature

Molybdenum specimens prepared by two processes, powder-metallurgy (PM) and electron-beam melting (EB), were irradiated to a fast neutron fluence of 2.74 × 10²⁴n/m² (E_n? 1 MeV) at about 600°C (873 K), and their mechanical properties were studied in detail. It was shown that the degree of irradiation embrittlement in EB-Mo was smaller than that in PM-Mo, which might be caused by stronger grain-boundaries and probably smaller irradiation-hardening in the former. From the relation between the recovery of ductility and microstructural changes in post-irradiation annealed PM-Mo at 800 (1073 K), 1000 (1273 K) and 1200°C (1473 K), it was concluded that the recovery resulted from a decrease of irradiation hardening due to a rearrangement and a disappearance of depleted-zones, dislocation-loops and voids in order with increasing annealing temperature. An anomalous mode of fracture was observed in as-irradiated specimens, which consisted of inhomogeneous deformation, then brittle fracture not at the center but at the root of the deformation neck. This mode was observed in a narrow temperature range near the DBTT. A possible mechanism is discussed.     

On the role of anxiety in decisions under possiblistic uncertainty.

We focus on situations in which we must decide on what time to take an action. The action is not in question it is the time of action. We call these "time for action decisions," a prototypical example being deciding when to leave on a journey. We point out that during this type of decision process, the decision-maker recognizes two groups of forces acting on him: one that pushes him to act now and other that pushes him act later. We note that the strength of these forces depends on the information available about various uncertainties associated with the situation. It also strongly depends upon the personality of the decision-maker. We observe that as time passes these conflicting forces tend to build up an anxiety in the decision-maker resulting in an action being taken at a time of most intense anxiety. In this paper using the ideas of possibility and necessity measures to enable different interpretations of uncertain information we investigate the temporal profile of the decision-maker's anxiety as a function of their decision attitude. We investigate the role of maximization of anxiety as decision paradigm. One of our goals here is to try to understand role of the nature and the quality information plays in these types of decisions as well as its interaction with anxiety.     

Effect of insulin fragments on biological activity of insulin and desoctapeptide insulin. I. Potentiation of biological activities

Four derivatives of the insuln B-chain COOH-terminal pentapeptide Arg-Gly-Phe-Phe-Tyr (B22-26) were synthesized and shown to be inactive alone. In the presence of submaximal concentrations of insulin or desoctapeptide insulin, peptides at concentrations of 10(-4) M and higher, markedly stimulated the actions of insulin on rat adipocytes including labeled glucose oxidation, activation of glycogen synthase, and stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose transport. The B-chain COOH-terminal heptapeptide, Gly-Phe-Phe-Tyr-Thr-Pro-Lys (B23-29) was inactive alone or in the presence of submaximal concentrations of insulin or desoctapeptide insulin, suggesting that argnine is required. Dose response curves of insulin, and desoctapeptide insulin for labeled glucose oxidation by rat adipocytes were shifted 1 log concentration unit to the left in the presence of peptide. Peptide shortened the lag time of labeled glucose oxidation and markedly enhanced the rate of 14CO2 production following the lag time. Peptides also enhanced insulin-like activities of concanavalin A and nonsuppressible insulin-like activity P.     

Automatic color-temperature compensator with guest-host liquid-crystal filter for video image sensing

A color-temperature compensating system with an electrically controllable liquid-crystal filter and a color sensor mounted on a video camera has been developed for color image sensing. The filter contains two guest-host liquid-crystal devices with dichroic dyes that have strong light absorption for shorter-wavelength light; two devices are necessary because of the spectral difference between the sun and an incandescent lamp as light sources. The filter's absorption is continuously controlled by the voltage applied to the filter. Because the filter is driven according to spectral information about the illumination detected by the color sensor, the color balance of the video image to be sensed can be compensated automatically and rapidly. This is especially useful for video image shooting in which a video camera experiences changes in illumination color temperatures.     

Anisotropic proton-conducting membranes prepared from swift heavy ion-beam irradiated ETFE films

Poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films were irradiated by swift heavy ion-beams of ¹²⁹Xe²³⁺ with fluences of 0, 3 × 10⁶, 3 × 10⁷, 3 × 10⁸ and 3 × 10⁹ ions/cm², followed by γ-ray pre-irradiation for radiation grafting of styrene onto the ETFE films and sulfonation of the grafted ETFE films to prepare highly anisotropic proton-conducting membranes. The fluence of Xe ions and the addition of water in the grafting solvent were examined to determine their effect on the proton conductivity of the resultant membranes. It was found that the polymer electrolyte membrane prepared by grafting the styrene monomer in a mixture of 67% isopropanol and 33% water to the ETFE film with an ion-beam irradiation fluence of 3.0 × 10⁶ ions/cm² was a highly anisotropic proton-conducting material, as the proton conductivity was three or more times higher in the thickness direction than in the surface direction of the membrane.