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Cobalt-nickel nanoparticles (Co-Ni-NPs) show promising electrochemical performance in oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) due to their physicochemical properties such as electronic configuration and great electrochemical stability. Therefore, developing new economically and environmentally friendly methods of synthesizing Co-Ni-NPs has become a practical requirement. Co-Ni-NPs were produced by employing the liquid-phase reduction method. Nickel and cobalt sulfate solutions in hydrazine monohydrate with various mixing ratios were used as raw materials. Nickel plays an important role in the nucleation process via increasing the reduction reaction rate throughout the formation of Co-Ni-NPs. Furthermore, the acceleration of the Co-Ni-NPs formation process may be attributed to the partial dissolution of Ni(OH)2 in the presence of N2H4 and/or citrate-anions and the formation of the Ni-N2H4 or Ni-Cit complexes in contrast to Co(OH)2.

We experimentally show a giant magnetoelectric (ME) effect at room temperature in an interfacial multiferroic heterostructure consisting of L21-ordered Co2FeSi and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT). Molecular beam epitaxy growth at 400 °C enables us to obtain epitaxial and L21-ordered Co2FeSi films on PMN-PT(001). For the epitaxial Co2FeSi/PMN-PT heterostructure, the remanent magnetization state can be largely modulated by varying electric fields. We note that the room-temperature ME coupling coefficient (α) is estimated to be 6.0–6.3 × 10 − 6 s/m, comparable to the highest α value reported previously. Nonvolatile and repeatable magnetization changes in remanent states are also demonstrated. These results will pave the way for room-temperature electric-field control of the magnetization of half-metallic Heusler alloys in high-performance spintronic devices.

Verticillium dahliae infecting tomato can be differentiated into races 1 and 2 based on differential pathogenicity on tomato cultivars carrying resistance gene Ve1. Although no commercial cultivars resistant to race 2 are available, race 2-resistant rootstock cultivars Aibou and Ganbarune-Karis have been bred in Japan. Nevertheless, the resistance of these rootstocks appears to be unstable in commercial tomato fields. Pathogenicity assays conducted under controlled conditions revealed that these rootstock cultivars are resistant to some isolates of race 2; this resistance is controlled by a single dominant locus, denoted by V2, based on segregation of resistance in F2 populations from selfed rootstock cultivars. However, some other isolates of race 2 can overcome this resistance. Therefore it is proposed that the current race 2 of V. dahliae should be divided into two races, i.e. ‘race 2’ (nonpathogenic on Aibou) and ‘race 3’ (pathogenic on Aibou). The distribution of these races was surveyed in 70 commercial tomato fields in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Race 3 was found in 45 fields, indicating that race 3 had already spread throughout the region. On the other hand, 25 fields had only race 2, and thus race 2-resistant rootstocks would be effective for disease management in these fields. Races 2 and 3 could not be identified by genomic Southern hybridization probed with a telomere sequence, nor with previously reported race-specific PCR assays. Elucidation of race-determining mechanisms and development of methods for quick race identification should be made in future studies.

We studied a magnetic levitation system that uses the magnetic shielding effect of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) bulks. The basic model in our system is composed of a ferromagnetic rail, HTS bulks, and a permanent magnet. To increase the levitation force in the system, we used three basic models and proposed some modified models that featured different arrangements of the three basic models. The modified models were the parallel model, common-rail (NSN) model, and common-rail (SSS) model. First, we explained the three kinds of modified models and then showed the measured levitation forces of these models. The experimental results indicated that the maximum levitation force was 1588 g for the common-rail (NSN) model, 1064 g for the common-rail (SSS) model, and 976 g for the parallel model. The strongest levitation force of the common-rail (NSN) model was more than seven times greater than the maximum levitation force of the basic model.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare condition that affects other organs out of the uterus. Recently, a few case reports in which 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has been used to distinguish the malignancy have been published. Here, the authors present a case of BML with metabolic activity on PET, in which needle biopsy of the uterus was efficient to make diagnosis.

We studied a magnetic levitation system using the magnetic shielding effect of a GdBCO bulk superconductor. One set of permanent magnet, ferromagnetic rail, and HTS bulk is called the basic model. To increase the magnetic levitation force, we place two basic models side by side. There are two kinds of models. The first has the S poles of the permanent magnets in both modules on the upper side and is named the 2-set (SS) model. The second has the S pole on the upper side of the permanent magnet and the N pole on the upper side of the other permanent magnet, and is called the 2-set (SN) model. The levitation force of the 2-set (SS) and (SN) models was more than twice that of the basic model. To support the experimental approach, we numerically evaluate a magnetic flux distribution using finite element method software.

Both neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ghrelin can enhance the feeding behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine whether NPY and ghrelin are involved in hyperphagia and obesity induced by lesions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN).Sham-operated control rats and rats subjected to bilateral electrolytic lesions of the PVN were administered NPY (5 μg/rat) by intracerebroventricular infusion or ghrelin (20 μg/kg) by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Control rats were administered the appropriate vehicle by the same route as the drug. We measured the cumulative food intake (FI) for 2 h after infusion of NPY and for 4 h after ghrelin injection.NPY significantly increased the cumulative FI in sham-operated rats. In PVN-lesioned rats, however, the cumulative FI at each time point (15 min, 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h) after NPY infusion was not significantly different from vehicle infusion, showing that NPY lost its orexigenic effect in PVN-lesioned rats. Following ghrelin injection, the cumulative FI was greater in PVN-lesioned rats than sham-operated rats, indicating that PVN lesions enhanced the orexigenic effects of ghrelin.These results suggest that the hyperphagia and obesity induced by PVN lesions may be related to an increased orexigenic action of ghrelin, but not NPY.

Powdery mildew of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) caused by Sphaerotheca aphanis var. aphanis is one of the serious airborne diseases in Japan. We have used various methods in an attempt to control this disease. Among these methods, liquid potassium silicate was found to be a very useful liquid fertilizer for suppressing powdery mildew. However, various types of cultivating style are used in strawberry production, and it is difficult to apply the silicate using each cultivating type. Recently, we focused on the use of UV-B radiation as an alternative method of disease control. Many reports have described how UV-B induces plant resistance against many stresses. However, there are no examples of its practical application in horticulture. In the present study, radiation conditions were determined in order to prevent the disease in an experimental booth. The suppressive effect of UV-B radiation against powdery mildew was evaluated in a vinyl house from October to June using three susceptible cultivars: 'Akihime', 'Toyonoka', and 'Sachinoka'. All cultivars were protected from powdery mildew by UV-B radiation. For example, in 'Akihime' control plots, 41% of fruits were diseased, whereas in the UV-B plots, 0% of fruits were diseased. Similar results were obtained for the other cultivars. In a laboratory experiment, RT-PCR analysis revealed that UV-B radiation induced the expression of a disease-resistance gene (the gene encoding the PR-protein). These results indicate that UV-B prevents powdery mildew development by inducing disease resistance in the plants as one of its modes of action.

Various endocrinological and immunological parameters involved with the seasonal changes of immunocompetence in common carp, Cyprinus carpio reared under natural conditions were investigated. Plasma concentrations of steroid hormones, IgM levels, IgM-secreting cell (IgMSC) numbers, and water temperature were considered as major parameters. Testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone in males and estradiol-17β in females detected by RIA, increased simultaneously with gonadal maturation, but no significant correlation was found with IgM production measured by ELISA. IgM levels were very high during the spawning season, but did not fluctuate much during the other seasons even at high water temperatures. These changes of IgM are certainly related to sexual maturation. In addition, IgMSC numbers were also high during the spawning season. This positive interaction between endocrine and immune parameters could contribute to the immune systems of common carp being more effective during spawning season. Interestingly, cortisol levels increased with the water temperature and were high during the spawning season, but had no suppressive effect on the IgM levels and IgMSC numbers.

Photorefractive damage at u =532 nm and green-light-induced infrared absorption (GRIIRA) of near-stoichiometric LiTaO 3 (SLT) single crystals were investigated. The SLT crystal even without MgO doping showed high photorefractive damage resistance and suppressed GRIIRA. In addition, a small amount of MgO doped into the SLT crystal almost eliminated the photorefractive damage and GRIIRA. A 3-mm-thick periodically poled SLT (PPSLT) and a 1-mm-thick periodically poled MgO-doped SLT (PPMgSLT) were successfully fabricated and their optical parametric oscillation (OPO) performances were investigated.

The interactive effects of increased temperature and CO 2 enrichment on the growth of 2-year-old saplings of Quercus myrsinaefolia, an evergreen broad-leaved oak, were studied throughout an entire year in the vicinity of their northernmost distribution. Saplings were grown under different conditions in two chambers: (1) a temperature gradient chamber at ambient temperature, 3 and 5 °C warmer conditions with an ambient CO 2 concentration, and (2) in a CO 2 temperature gradient chamber at 3 °C warmer conditions with 1.5 times the normal CO 2 concentration, and 5 °C warmer conditions with doubled CO 2 concentration. The 3 and 5 °C warmer conditions enhanced the relative growth rate during almost the entire year, producing 53 and 47% increases in annual biomass production, 27 and 44% enhancement of root growth during shoot dormancy and 3 and 5 week prolongation of the shoot growing period, respectively. However, a daily mean air temperature exceeding 30 °C under the 5 °C warmer condition caused a marked reduction in net assimilation rate (NAR) from July to September. The CO 2 enrichment further enhanced the positive effects of warming in spring and the resulting increases in NAR almost completely compensated for the negative effect of warming during summer. From autumn to winter, attenuation of the effects of CO 2 was compensated by the increased sink strength produced by the warming. The annual biomass production was more than doubled by the combination of temperature elevation and CO 2 enrichment.

A stacked CdZnTe semiconductor detector, which is able to detect the 6.13 MeV γ-rays from 16N, was prototyped and the response calculation was carried out by a Monte-Carlo simulation. The detector response was simulated by using the electron and photon transport code, EGS4 and taking into account the carrier trapping phenomena. The results of the response calculation agreed with the experimental data from the checking source of 137Cs and 60Co. The prototype's response and sensitivity to 16N were calculated by simulating an incident energy of 6.13 MeV . The source spectra were unfolded with the detector's response function obtained by simulation, and it indicated that the incident γ-ray energy and its intensity ratio was identified. We have acquired the potential to measure the γ-ray energy in the high energy region about 6 MeV with the stacked CdZnTe detector.

A method for estimating the shape of accumulated radioactive spent resins in a storage tank has been proposed using the sampled pattern matching. In a two-dimensional simulation model, several kinds of the resin shapes are assumed, and the radiation fields outside the tank are calculated. The resin shapes were estimated using the simulated radiation field data and compared to the assumed shapes, resulting in reasonable agreements between them.

Cooling performance of Yb : glass was improved with an index-matching liquid. 1-bromonaphthalene was used in the interfacial gap of hybrid gain material between Yb : glass and sapphire blocks. Thermal lens effects under an intensity of 20 kW cm−2 were effectively reduced. The improved hybrid gain material Yb : glass and sapphire can increase repetition rates of laser systems.

A new mechanical alloying process for preparing amorphous powders by rubbing more than two types of elemental metal against each other under a certain pressure has been developed. A rotating bundle of Cu and Ti sticks pressed on the concave side of a Ti mortar is used to prepare a fine powder. The micromorphology of the powder was examined using scanning electron microscopy and optical metallography. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis shows that the powder was not contaminated at all. The alloying procedure was investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The fine powder mechanically alloyed for several hours showed the broad X-ray scattering maxima and the exothermic heat peak of thermal analysis curve referring to the amorphization and crystallization, respectively.

[1] Atmospheric CO2 concentration and its isotopes have been measured at the Takayama site in central Japan since 1994, together with δ18O in precipitation since 2002, to examine their temporal variations in a cool-temperate deciduous forest environment strongly influenced by the Asian monsoon. The CO2 concentration and δ13C at the observational site show prominent seasonal variations accompanied by a secular trend, suggesting that the average seasonal cycle is caused mainly by a seasonal-dependent CO2 exchange with C3 plants. However, the variation in summer is found to be related to CO2 exchange with a significantly heavier δ13C signal compared to the other seasons, indicating some influence at the Takayama site of atmospheric transport of CO2 impacted by exchange with C4 plants from upstream regions. Compared with CO2 and δ13C, δ18O measurements in atmospheric CO2 are scattered, showing no clear seasonal variation. From late spring to early fall, significant year-to-year differences in the variation of δ18O are observed, with low and high values associated with rainy and sunny summer conditions, respectively. Comparisons with data from other northern midlatitude sites suggest that the rapid decrease of δ18O seen at Takayama in the early summer of a rainy summer year is characteristic of the Asian monsoon region. On the other hand, the characteristic increase in δ18O observed from winter to spring is likely caused by long-range transport of air with enriched δ18O.

Effect of substrate temperature and ambient pressure of deposition chamber on contact condition between free falling droplet and substrate surface were investigated. Cu droplet and SUS304 substrate were used for the experiment. To estimate the contact condition, temperature history of molten droplet was measured at splat-substrate interface by thermocouples embedded in the substrate and high frequency data logging system. Quantitative porosity on splat bottom surface and degree of circularity of splat shape was evaluated. Splat adhesion strength experiment was conducted and dynamic wetting behavior of substrate by molten droplet was captured by ultra-high speed video. Heating substrate and vacuuming chamber pressure enhanced the heat transfer from splat to substrate, which can be attributed to the good contact at splat bottom surface. Adhesion strength of the splat to the substrate corresponded well with degree of circularity. Consequently, substrate temperature and ambient pressure of deposition chamber have an equivalent effect to contact condition at interface between droplet and substrate surface.

Bilateral lesions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei (PVN) induce hyperphagia and obesity, and ghrelin stimulates appetite in rodents and humans. Conversely, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and melanotan-II (MT-II, a synthetic structural homologue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, alphaMSH) inhibit feeding behavior. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether these peptides are involved in the hyperphagia and obesity induced by PVN lesions. After bilateral electrolytic lesions of the PVN, rats were given ghrelin intraperitoneally (i. p.), or intracerebroventricular (i. c. v.) infusion of CRH or MT-II. We measured the cumulative food intake (FI) for 4 h after ghrelin injection in rats fed AD LIB, and the changes in FI at 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h after infusion of CRH and MT-II in rats fasted for 24 h. Ghrelin significantly increased cumulative FI, with maximal response 3 h and 4 h after injection, and at these times, the FI of PVN-lesioned rats was greater than that of sham-operated rats. CRH significantly decreased FI in all experimental animals, but at 1 h, there was a more powerful inhibitory effect on FI in the PVN-lesioned group than in the sham-operated group. MT-II decreased FI in sham-operated, but not in PVN-lesioned rats. Thus, ghrelin and CRH showed more potent orexigenic and anorectic effects in PVN-lesioned rats, respectively, but MT-II lost its inhibitory action on feeding behavior. These results suggest that the hyperphagia and obesity induced by PVN lesions may be related to an increased orexigenic action of ghrelin due to the destruction of endogenous CRH and alphaMSH receptors.

The major two demands against electronic devices are smaller dimension and higher performance (higher data rate). In terms of packaging technology, flip chip interconnection is one of the currently available solutions that meet those demands by providing high density and low inductance interconnection between chip and system. However, this technology has a limit for fine pitch, which should be ~10um. As an alternative to achieve finer pitch interconnection, we have investigated bumpless interconnection. In this research, we have succeeded in bonding a Si chip to a flexible substrate. Flexible substrates will enable electronic devices become smaller, and are already used for mobile applications in a large volume. A shortcoming of high-density interconnection is that, cross talk noise will become dominant as the spacing between adjacent signal lines will become smaller. To avoid this problem, we have applied a pair line transmission line structure for the interconnection. We got the electrical performance of 3GHz pulse frequency through as many as 196 bumpless interconnections of daisy chain on this experimental system.

We report on experiments with high-power femtosecond pulses from a passively mode-locked thin disk Yb:YAG laser: nonlinear fiber compression to 33 fs with 18 W average power and a fiber-feedback parametric oscillator generating 15 W in the 1.5-/spl mu/m region.

We present a red-green-blue laser source with average powers of 8 W in the red, 23 W in the green, and 10.1 W in the blue. The entire pump power for the nonlinear conversion stages is provided by a single laser oscillator without any amplifier stages. Our system does not require any synchronized cavities, and all nonlinear crystals except one are critically phase matched at room temperature.

With a passively mode-locked thin disk Yb:YAG laser we pumped a two-stage optical parametric generator producing ultrashort pulses with 11 W average power at 799 nm and 6 W at 1448 nm. Sum frequency mixing of the latter two wavelengths with residual 1030-nm light results in multi-watt output powers at 450 nm and 602 nm.

Summary form only given. Pulsed intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator difference frequency generation (OPO-DFG)using two periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) (LiNbO/sub 3/)crystals and cascaded mid-infrared generation was demonstrated using AgGaSe/sub 2/. The OPO-PPLN crystal operated in the usual manner by converting pump photons into signal and idler photons The DFG-PPLN crystal was designed to phase match the signal and idler waves to produce a difference frequency photon and an additional idler photon.

Summary from only given. We employed type-I phase matching in GaSe IR pulses (DFG) were separated from the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pulses by two dielectric coated Ge filters and detected with a liquid-nitrogen-cooled HgCdTe detector.

Summary form only given. We present a parametric generator based on the novel nonlinear material periodically poled stoichiometric LiTaO/sub 3/ (PPSLT) and a recently developed high-power femtosecond Yb:KY(WO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ (Yb:KYW) thin-disk laser. We achieved simple and robust single-pass OPG at the full repetition rate of 24 MHz. We obtained stable 1 W signal power in 320 fs-pulses with a good transverse beam quality (M/sup 2/ = 1.1) at 1.45 /spl mu/m and 0.6 W of idler power at 3.55 /spl mu/m for 7.8 W pump power. For a few minutes, even 2.5 W of signal output power have been achieved. The damage resistance of PPSLT seems to be significantly better than for congruent PPLN.

Summary form only given. We report a nanosecond optical parametric generator (OPG) using periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). The line-width of the OPG radiation was reduced to about 500 MHz by injection seeding with a Rittrow- or Rittman-type LD. Although an injection seeded PPLN-OPG has previously been reported, our system has simpler wavelength tuning using a telecom-type LD. The OPG radiation was easily tuned by changing the wavelength of the injection seeder radiation, and was mode-hop free. The mode-hop free performance of the OPG radiation made gas spectroscopy easy to perform. An example is shown of the measured absorption spectrum of N/sub 2/O gas.

This paper describes abnormal sound detection in plant equipment. Their target was to detect steam leakages, which is one of the most important indications of power plant failure in its early stages. Fourier analysis, which is a conventional method for the sound processing, cannot detect small abnormal sounds mixed with large normal sounds. The authors focus on the characteristics of adaptive digital filters (ADF), which enhance a small signal in a large background noise, and propose an abnormal sound detection method by comparing the properties between normal and abnormal filters produced by the ADF process. Finally, they show the efficiency of this method by applying it to sounds recorded in a power plant. The results of its application to sound source detection are also reported.

The effects of absorbed water of spin-on glass (SOG) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)-O/sub 3/ NSG on MOS transistor hot carrier degradation were investigated. It was found that the absorbed water in SOG and TEOS-O/sub 3/ NSG film desorbs from the film during subsequent low temperature annealing and causes hot carrier degradation. It was also found that plasma CVD silicon oxide (P-SiO) deposited under certain conditions suppresses the hot carrier degradation drastically. Because the P-SiO film has a small water absorption rate, it blocks water penetration to the silicon surface. >

We demonstrate a synchronously pumped high-gain OPO with feedback through a fiber, using an Yb:YAG thin disk laser as pump source. We obtained 15.5 W average signal power at a wavelength of 1.45 μm in 630-fs pulses.

This paper proposes a Tabu search based method for power system unit commitment. Tabu search is an efficient combinational optimization method. In this paper, the restricted neighborhood of the solution search is investigated to improve its performance. The proposed method is applied to a unit commitment problem. Finally, a comparison is made between the proposed method and simulated annealing.

In sub-half micron CMOS, reduction of wiring capacitance is a key issue to improve the circuit performance because the ratio of wiring delay to total delay is increasing. In order to reduce the wiring capacitance, applying low dielectric materials to ULSI is most effective and developments of low dielectric materials have been reported recently. However, there have been no studies of applying those to sub-half micron CMOS. In this study, it is reported for the first time that the new low dielectric material "SiOF" which has been proposed previously has been applied to sub-half micron CMOS and the improvement of circuit performance has been confirmed. Moreover, it is clearly demonstrated that the SiOF film is inevitable to improve the circuit speed of 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS with the scaling trend. Also, it is emphasized that the reduction of wiring capacitance with SiOF film is important from the viewpoint of power reduction in sub-half micron CMOS. >

Laser processing on a silicon plate was observed. A free running flashlamp pumped Ti:sapphire laser was used. A pair of PIN detectors was useful for the detection of penetration. The photographs of keyhole were taken by laser microscopy.

Previously, we reported a silicon torsional resonant mirror driven by a PZT plate through link beam leverage effects and confirmed the device operation. Our device is mechanically reliable and stable since there are no metal leads on the vibrating silicon torsional beams and the mirror is supported by 6 beams. We present an improved device having much higher performance through both design and process optimization based on detailed FEM simulations and refinement of the fabrication process.

In high frequency transmission, crosstalk toward neighbor lines increases because of the strong behavior of electric and magnetic field. In this paper, we present a new transmission structure especially focused on the bus between CPU and memory for high frequency range. And we confirm the superiority of new structure through measurement and simulation study in terms of electromagnetic field analysis.

This paper describes performance measurements made on a 4 K Gifford-McMahon (GM) refrigerator that incorporates a magnetic regenerator material. The method used to achieve high efficiency was optimization of the pressure ratio. Three types of cold heads were tested: Type #1 with a 32-mm inner diameter of the second stage cylinder, Type #2 with an inner diameter of 40 mm, and Type #3 with an inner diameter of 56 mm. The second stage regenerator materials were HoCu 2 , Er 3 Ni,and lead. The pressure ratio was changed by using several types of compressors and regulating the opening of a bypass valve that was connected between the intake and exhaust gas lines from the compressor. The compressor work was estimated by measuring the intake and exhaust pressure and mass flow rate. The highest measured Coefficient of Performance (COP) at 4.2 K was 4.29×10 −4 for Type #1, 4.59×10 −4 for Type #2, and 5.95×10 −4 for Type #3; these were obtained at pressure ratios of 2.21, 2.38 and 2.23, respectively. At these pressure ratios, the cooling power at 4.2 K was 0.335 W, 1.01 W, and 1.99 W, and the compressor work was 0.78 kW, 2.20 kW, and 3.34 kW, respectively. A maximum cooling power of 3.68 W was obtained at 4.2 K using the Type #3 cold head at a high pressure ratio of 3.25, and a power of 7.99 kW.