Conductive and flexible multi-walled carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane composites made with naphthalene/toluene mixture

Conventional conductive materials face challenges when utilizing them for flexible and wearable electronics and soft robotics. Carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites are a promising alternative to the conventional hard conductors because they are light and can realize large deformation. To date, well dispersion of CNTs into PDMS to increase conductivity while maintaining flexibility remains challenging. We aimed at developing highly electrically conductive and flexible multi-walled carbon nanotube/PDMS (MWCNT/PDMS) composites. To this end, we proposed a method to enhance the dispersion of MWCNTs into PDMS using naphthalene and toluene. Our results showed that the addition of naphthalene and toluene into the composites improved dispersion of the MWCNTs and increased the direct current (DC) electrical conductivity. We also found that the morphology of primary aggregates of the MWCNTs influenced the DC electrical conductivity of the composites. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48167.     

Effects of welding residual stress on compressive behavior and ultimate strength of corroded plate

This study examined the effects of welding residual stress on the compressive behavior and the ultimate strength of the corroded plate. First, welding residual stress was obtained by the thermal elastic-plastic analysis. Then, the change of welding residual stress and the deflection due to the volume loss was investigated by using a newly developed program based on FEM. Finally, the effects of welding residual stress on the compressive behavior and the ultimate strength of the corroded plate were investigated by the elastic-plastic large deformation analysis. As results, the beginning point of the reduction of the initial stiffness with welding residual stress was earlier than that without welding residual stress. Such effect was observed significantly in the case that the volume was lost in the region which has compressive residual stress. Furthermore, the ultimate strength of the corroded plate was reduced by welding residual stress regardless of the plate length, the corroded regions and the reduction of the thickness. The effect of welding residual stress on the ultimate strength became small with the decrease of the thickness.     

Audiologic findings in patients with a point mutation at nucleotide 3,243 of mitochondrial DNA

In preparation for the introduction of Project 2000 throughout Scotland, a need was identified to monitor the quality of the learning environment for student nurses in the practice setting. No mechanism existed to measure quality and standards, and a group was formed to devise, pilot and implement an educational audit tool which could address these requirements, since limited information was available in the literature. Using this tool, the group subsequently examined the learning opportunities available, concentrating on the physical environment, the learning climate/environment, and the students' perceptions of the learning environment within the practice setting, across hospital and community sectors, including residential accommodation and nurseries, in the wide geographical area covered by the health board. This paper describes the process by which the tool was formulated, tested and implemented, the problems encountered, and the improvements in communications between teaching and clinical staff, leading to improved opportunities for the provision of excellence in patient care.     

Effect of Al inclusion in HfO/sub 2/ on the physical and electrical properties of the dielectrics

This authors present the effect of Al inclusion in HfO/sub 2/ on the crystallization temperature, leakage current, band gap, dielectric constant, and border traps. It has been found that the crystallization temperature is significantly increased by adding Al into the HfO/sub 2/ film. With an addition of 31.7% Al, the crystallization temperature is about 400-500/spl deg/C higher than that without Al. This additional Al also results an increase of the band gap of the dielectric from 5.8 eV for HfO/sub 2/ without Al to 6.5 eV for HfAlO with 45.5% Al and a reduced dielectric constant from 19.6 for HfO/sub 2/ without Al to 7.4 for Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ without Hf. Considering the tradeoff among the crystallization temperature, band gap, and dielectric constant, we have concluded that the optimum Al concentration is about 30% for conventional self-aligned CMOS gate processing technology.     

Current transport in metal/hafnium oxide/silicon structure

Based on the experimental results of the temperature dependence of gate leakage current and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling characteristics at 77 K, we have extracted the energy band diagrams and current transport mechanisms for metal/HfO₂/Si structures. In particular, we have obtained the following quantities that will be useful for modeling and simulation: i) HfO₂/Si conduction band offset (or barrier height): 1.13 ± 0.13 eV; ii) Pt/HfO₂ barrier height: ~ 2.48 eV; iii) Al/HfO₂ barrier height: ~ 1.28 eV; iv) electron effective mass in HfO₂: 0.1 m_o, where m_o is the free electron mass and v) a trap level at 1.5 ± 0.1 eV below the HfO₂ conduction band which contributes to Frenkel-Poole conduction     

A high orientation effect of cobalt-adsorbed gamma and chromium-dioxide particles for audio recording

Co-adsorbed gamma and chromium-dioxide particles were coated at magnetic fields of O, 1.0KOe, 2.5KOe to investigate magnetic and audio recording properties. We have achieved very high Rs of 91.5% and Br of 1830 gauss for Co-adsorbed gamma, and Rs of 86.3% and Br of 1700 gauss for chromium-dioxide particles coated at 2.5KOe. The increase of MOL(315Hz) was 4.4dB for Co-adsorbed gamma and 3.7dB for chromium-dioxide tape corresponding with the increase of tape Br. But the increase of bias noise level(A-weighted) was only O.6dB and O.7dB respectively.     

Intrahypothalamic, but not hippocampal, administration of muscimol suppresses hyperglycemia induced by hippocampal neostigmine in anesthetized rats

We investigated the effects of intrahypothalamic or hippocampal injection of GABA receptor agonists on hyperglycemia induced by hippocampal neostigmine. Prior to the injection of neostigmine (50 nmol) into the hippocampus (HPC), muscimol (0.01-1 nmol) or baclofen (1 nmol) was injected into the bilateral ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Muscimol suppressed the hyperglycemia in a dose-dependent manner, but baclofen affected it only minimally. In contrast, neither hippocampal muscimol (1 or 2.5 nmol) nor baclofen (1 nmol) suppressed the hippocampal neostigmine-dependent hyperglycemia. Intrahypothalamic muscimol (1 nmol) also decreased the changes in hepatic venous plasma glucagon and epinephrine significantly. These results indicate that intrahypothalamic muscimol suppresses hyperglycemia caused by cholinergic neurons originating from the HPC, indicating existence of the location specificity.     

Mitochondrial DNA mutation at nucleotide 1555 in a patient with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of unknown etiology

A mitochondrial DNA mutation at nucleotide 1555 in the ribosomal RNA gene was recently reported as a cause of maternally inherited non-syndromic sensorineural deafness. We assumed that the 1555 mutation is also associated with sporadic non-syndromic deafness and screened for the mutation in seven randomly selected sporadic cases with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of unknown etiology. The mutation was found in one patient, who first noticed hearing loss when she was in her early teens with subsequent gradual progression. The results suggest that the 1555 mutation may contribute to the etiology of idiopathic bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in some cases.     

Use of the Hot-Electron Mirror Machine Interem as a High-Z Ion Source

Production of the high-Z charge states in helium, nitrogen, and argon has been measured in the INTEREM device at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The INTEREM device contains a hot electron (~500 keV) plasma trapped in a minimum B geometry. The device is of interest because its parameters, electron density and energy, and ion lifetime are consistent with those required for the production of highly charged ions. Ion charge and ion energy spectra were measured independently using an einzel lens type energy analyzer combined with a quadrupole mass filter. For helium, most of the ions were doubly charged under proper operating conditions. For nitrogen, we found the ion yield to be peaked at Q = 4, and under these conditions the yield at Q = 6 was down by a factor of about 20. Energy distribution curves for different charge states show interesting features, from which important information may be inferred about the plasma in INTEREM. Although discrepancies exist in the ion yields we conclude that an INTEREM-like device employing a minimum B geometry and electron cyclotron resonance heating may be expected to be a good high-Z ion source.     

Physically based reflectance model utilizing polarization measurement

A surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) depends on both the optical properties of the material and the microstructure of the surface and appears as combination of these factors. We propose a method for modeling the BRDF based on a separate optical-property (refractive-index) estimation by polarization measurement. Because the BRDF and the refractive index for precisely the same place can be determined, errors cased by individual difference or spatial dependence can be eliminated. Our BRDF model treats the surface as an aggregation of microfacets, and the diffractive effect is negligible because of randomness. An example model of a painted aluminum plate is presented.