Suppression of defect level emissions in low temperature fabricated one-dimensional Mn doped ZnO nanorods

One-dimensional Mn doped ZnO nanocrystallites were synthesized through a facile low temperature surfactant free chemical route. The crystallite structure and morphological evolution of the particles were revealed to be of wurtzite phase and rod like structures from the X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic analysis, respectively. Using Raman spectroscopy the role of oxygen related defects and phase purity in the Mn substituted ZnO systems were studied systematically. A significant suppression in the sub-band edge emission was visualized in the room temperature emission spectra of the Mn doped systems. The intensity ratio in between the near-band edge and defect-level emissions was observed to increase, signifying the reduction in oxygen related defects and revealing their influence on the crystallinity on the Mn substituted ZnO species. These variations were correlated with the increasing number of Mn ions in the host lattice, which results with their passivating action on the surface defects.     

Neuroelectric Mechanisms of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) remains a challenging but very important condition, because DCI is preventable and treatable for improving functional outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The pathologies underlying DCI are multifactorial. Classical approaches to DCI focus exclusively on preventing and treating the reduction of blood flow supply. However, recently, glutamate-mediated neuroelectric disruptions, such as excitotoxicity, cortical spreading depolarization and seizures, and epileptiform discharges, have been reported to occur in high frequencies in association with DCI development after SAH. Each of the neuroelectric disruptions can trigger the other, which augments metabolic demand. If increased metabolic demand exceeds the impaired blood supply, the mismatch leads to relative ischemia, resulting in DCI. The neuroelectric disruption also induces inverted vasoconstrictive neurovascular coupling in compromised brain tissues after SAH, causing DCI. Although glutamates and the receptors may play central roles in the development of excitotoxicity, cortical spreading ischemia and epileptic activity-related events, more studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiology and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for preventing or treating neuroelectric disruption-related DCI after SAH. This article reviews the recent advancement in research on neuroelectric disruption after SAH.     

High Intensity Operation at Naoshima Smelter

This paper describes the successful test operation of a 50 t/h concentrate feed rate (or on the anode copper basis 9000 tlm) with the Mitsubishi Process. Particular emphasis is given to the analyses of the furnace capacity by the measurement of flow pattern and oxygen potential. Smelting rate on the unit hearth area of the smelting furnace is now one-ton of concentrate/m²·h. The results of the analyses show the further potential of the furnace capacity of the process.     

Applicability of the Magnification Equation of Lens for Slope Survey

Photography is often used in geological survey, mining engineering or civil engineering to measure the length or width of an object by placing another object such as a scale, a hammer or a cigarette box next to the object. But, it is difficult to place a scale nearby the object when the object is too far and high or too dangerous to get to. In this study, practical applicability of the magnification equation of lens for indirect calculation of the length of a photographed object was examined. From this study, it was found that the applicable distance for the use of the magnification equation of lens was 84 m, even when the focal length was 36mm, and that the applicable distance was more than 300 m with the lens focal length being longer than 100 mm. Moreover, falling behavior, impact load and energy of a rock fall could be calculated readily using obtained information from a photograph.     

Germanium recovery using polyphenol microspheres prepared by horseradish peroxidase reaction

BACKGROUND: The formation of polyphenol microspheres by the polymerization of 3‐methylcatechol was performed in a methanol/phosphate buffer solution using horseradish peroxidase (HRP), without the use of a surfactant or a water/oil interface, to be used for germanium recovery. RESULTS: The polyphenol microspheres were of diameter 1 mm. The functional group density of phenol group in the polymer was approximately 15 mol kg^?1 determined by the Folin‐Denis method. In batchwise experiments, the amount of germanium adsorbed was 0.23 mol kg^?1. CONCLUSION: Because germanium is a rare metal, a system for its recovery is required. Using the proposed system, continuous recovery of germanium can be achieved using multilayered microspheres. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

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.     

Note: Zr(IV)-Immobilized Resin Prepared by Surface Template Polymerization for Fluoride Ion Removal

Abstract

A novel adsorbent Zr(IV)-immobilized resin was prepared to remove fluoride ions from tap water and industrial wastewater. In order to enhance both the kinetics and efficiency, large pathways were formed in the resin for fluoride ion adsorption and the Zr(IV)-phosphate complexes were immobilized on the polymer surface by surface-template polymerization. The Zr(IV)-immobilized resin had a fluoride adsorption capacity of 0.30 mmol/g. The morphology of the Zr(IV)-immobilized resin was evaluated by measuring the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution. The resin possessed large amounts of large macropores with diameters around 300 nm. The molecular structure at the fluoride adsorption sites was investigated by measuring the amounts of phosphorus, zirconium, and fluoride ion in the resin, and developing a model complex using computational chemistry. On the polymer surface, a fluoride ion/Zr(IV)/dioleyl phosphoric acid complex with an ideal F:Zr:P mole ratio of 3:1:3 could be formed.     

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin to a polymer brush prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization in a porous inorganic membrane

Protein adsorption was performed by a polymer brush prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to a porous inorganic membrane. The porous inorganic membrane, Shirasu Porous Glass made from silica, was modified with a halogen-containing compound to bind the active species for the polymerization. Glycidyl methacrylate was polymerized from the halogen compound by ATRP for a prescribed time, and subsequently chemically modified. The progression of the chemical modification allowed the membrane to lower the phosphate-buffer flux of the porous membrane due to the attachment of the polymer brush. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a model protein, was adsorbed at 12 mg per gram of the membrane in permeating BSA solution through the polymer-brush-attached porous membrane.