X-ray absorptiometry

Bone mass measurements are essential in the diagnosis of osteoporosis, the monitoring of its progression, and the evaluation of therapeutical responses. Among various methods of bone mass measurements, single- and dual-X-ray absorptiometry, SXA and DXA, have shown excellent fundamental performance. In this paper, the principles of SXA and DXA; i.e., factors of fundamental performance, such as precision, data-acquisition, and radiation dose, the practice of DXA, recent advances in DXA, such as the lateral spine scan, the measurement of body composition, application to BMD measurement of the bones of small animals and at sites of metal implants, morphometry of the spine, and geometrical measurement in the proxial femur, and clinical applications to osteoporosis were particularly reviewed.     

Superconductivity in W-containing diamond-like nanocomposite films

Superconductivity in a tungsten-containing carbon-oxide film was reported. The film with 500 nm thickness was deposited onto polycrystalline silicon oxides using chemical vapor deposition and the co-sputtering of a tungsten metal target. The bonding state of the carbon atoms and the macroscopic and microscopic crystal structure of the film were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements. From the experimental results, we determined that this film essentially had an amorphous structure. The temperature dependence on resistivity was measured in the temperature range of 2–300 K. Resistive superconducting transition was observed at 3.8 K. The dc magnetizations were measured in the temperature range of 1.8–6.5 K. The diamagnetism resulting from a superconductive state was observed below 3.75 K, which is consistent with a resistive superconducting transition. It is thought that the finite sized clusters of the different superconductive transition temperatures cooperatively produce a macroscopic superconducting phenomenon.     

Temperature Dependence of the Raman Spectrum in Lithium Oxide Single Crystal

Temperature dependence of the Raman spectrum of lithium oxide single crystal has been measured over a temperature range of 80 to 1073 K. The frequency shift and the line width of the Raman spectrum in lithium oxide were about 531 and 4.5 cm^-1 at 80 K, respectively. At 1073 K, the frequency shift and the line width attained the values of 464 and 112 cm^-1, respectively. The strong temperature dependence of the frequency shift and line width was compared with data from some crystals with a fluorite structure.     

An effect of microstructure on the interface resistance between a perovskite-type oxide electrode and yttria-stabilized zirconia

The electrode characteristics of perovskite-type oxides, La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO₃ and La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃, on ceria-based oxide and stabilized zirconia were analysed by the a.c. impedance method. The ionic conductivities of the electrolyte and electrode conductivities from the a.c. impedance analysis agreed with those obtained from the current interruption and d.c. four-probe methods. Two semicircles from the charge transfer and diffusion processes appeared as the electrode resistance. The relative contribution of these two processes to the overall electrode resistance strongly depended on the microstructure of the electrode. The electrode microstructure could be controlled by the dispersion medium used for the electrode slurry. The La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃ electrode coated with n-butyl acetate slurry exhibited the smallest electrode resistance.     

Online-Religion in Japan: Websites and Religious Counseling from a Comparative Cross-Cultural Perspective

This article considers the nature of online religion by examining the websites and religious counseling activities conducted by new Japanese religions. Beginning with an overview of the widespread use of the Internet in Japan and its use in religion, the article examines the cultural and social factors that keep the religious use of the Internet from becoming as pervasive in Japan as it is in the U.S. The article then describes a website with elements of online religion and the Internet-based religious counseling services being provided by ministers of the new Shintō-derived religions of Konkōkyō and Tenrikyō. These activities have successfully given some people who need religious assistance access to religious teaching. In concluding, the article examines the reasons for the success of these efforts, as well as the reasons why they have not expanded in scope, in light of the cultural and organizational advantages and disadvantages that affect Internet use.     

Synthesis and electronic property of platinum nanowire and nanoparticle in mesoporous silica template

Platinum nanowires and nanoparticles were selectively synthesized in mesoporous silicas FSM-16 and HMM-1. The nanowires are 3 nm in diameter and several hundred nm to μm in length with high crystallinity. Pt nanowires and nanoparticles can be isolated by dissolving silica matrix with HF. The Pt wires extracted from organosilica HMM-1 have a nanonecklace structure, while the wires from siliceous FSM-16 have a nanorod structure. The extracted Pt nanoparticles (3 nm in size) on HOPG show the Coulomb staircase phenomena in STM/STS analysis. The mechanism for formation of the Pt nanowires is based on the migration of Pt ions in the mesoporous channels.     

Extraction and implementation of muscle synergies in neuro-mechanical control of upper limb movement

This work faces the redundancy problem, a central concern in robotics, in a particular force-producing task by using muscle synergies to simplify the control. We extracted muscle synergies from human electromyograph signals and interpreted the physical meaning of the identified muscle synergies. Based on the human analysis results, we hypothesized a novel control framework that can explain the mechanism of the human motor control. The framework was tested in controlling a pneumatic-driven robotic arm to perform a reaching task. This control method, which uses only two synergies as manipulated variables for driving antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscles to generate desired movements, would be useful to deal with the redundancy problem; thus, suggesting a simple but efficient control for human-like robots to work safely and compliantly with humans.     

Partial oxidation of ethane to synthesis gas over Co-loaded catalysts

Attention has been increasingly paid to the partial oxidation of lower alkanes to synthesis gas, due to its intrinsic energy saving process. We studied the partial oxidation of ethane (POE) on Co loaded on various supports. The POE performance varied as follows: Y₂O₃, CeO₂, ZrO₂, La₂O₃  SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂ > MgO. Comparing Y₂O₃ and CeO₂, the carbon deposition during the POE was negligible on CeO₂ and therefore CeO₂ was the most preferable support. By changing space velocity and O₂ partial pressure, reaction mechanism of POE was studied and it was revealed that two-step mechanism was prevailing; combustion of ethane to H₂O and CO₂ and subsequent reforming of ethane with H₂O and CO₂ to synthesis gas. Co/CeO₂ catalyst exhibited high and stable catalytic activity for 10 h; high ethane conversion of 18% (maximum ethane conversion 20% at O₂/C₂H₆ = 0.2) with H₂ and CO selectivities of 93 and 84%, respectively.     

Sintering Kinetics at Isothermal Shrinkage: II, Effect of Y2O3 Concentration on the Initial Sintering Stage of Fine Zirconia Powder

The shrinkage behavior of fine zirconia powders containing 2.9 and 7.8 mol% Y₂O₃ was investigated to clarify the effect of Y₂O₃ concentration on the initial sintering stage. The shrinkage of powder compact was measured under both conditions of constant rates of heating (CRH) and constant temperatures. CRH measurements revealed that when the Y₂O₃ concentration of fine zirconia powder increased, the starting temperature of shrinkage shifted to a high temperature. Isothermal shrinkage measurements revealed that the increase in Y₂O₃ concentration causes the shrinkage rate to decrease. The values of activation energy ( Q ) and frequency-factor term (β₀) of diffusion at initial sintering were estimated by applying the sintering-rate equation to the isothermal shrinkage data. When the Y₂O₃ concentration increases, both Q and β₀ of diffusion increase. It is, therefore, concluded that the increase in Y₂O₃ concentration of fine zirconia powder decreases the shrinkage rate because of increasing Q of diffusion at the initial stage of sintering.     

Electroless copper plating using Fe as a reducing agent

Although the electroless plating method is known to be an effective method for obtaining fine wiring in particular, 1 mol hydrogen gas is generated during 1 mol Cu deposition, and voids are generated in the wiring when electroless Cu plating is applied to fine wiring. To avoid the hydrogen evolution, the possibility of performing electroless Cu plating was confirmed using an inexpensive Fe^II compound as a reducing agent. The bath contains CuSO₄, FeSO₄, NaCl, ethylenediamine, sodium citrate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and 2,2′-bipyridine. Under optimal conditions, over 1.7 μm of copper deposit with a smooth surface was obtained after 3 h of plating, which did not contain iron as an impurity. The electrical resistivity of the copper film is about 3-4 μΩ cm corresponding to that of electroplated copper films.