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The phase stability of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZ) was investigated using high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). An Al-free tetragonal LLZ phase transformed into a non-quenchable cubic phase around 650 °C. The phase transformation process between the tetragonal phase and the new cubic phase showed perfect reversibility. The thermal analysis showed a pair of endothermic and exothermic peaks around 640 °C that is in good agreement with the phase transformation process observed in the HT-XRD study. The non-quenchable high temperature cubic phase showed high ionic conductivity with extraordinarily low activation energy (0.117 eV). The tetragonal phase showed another phase transformation to a low temperature (LT) cubic phase around 150-200 °C in air by absorbing CO2 into the structure. The preferred temperature for the CO2 absorption process was around 200 °C and the absorbed CO2 was extracted once the temperature reached 450 °C or above resulting in the phase transformation back to the tetragonal phase. On the other hand the high temperature (HT) cubic phase which shows high ionic conductivity was stabilized by Al substitution. A Li-poor LLZ containing impurity phases such as La2Zr2O7 and La2O3 effectively reacted with γ-Al2O3 resulting in the formation of a pure Al-stabilized cubic LLZ, while the stoichiometric LLZ took a much longer time to complete the Al-substitution. The result suggested that the formation of Li vacancies is the primary step in the formation of the Al-stabilized cubic phase.

Herein, we report an effective method for the generation of radio-frequency (RF) sidebands in an electro-optic modulator for the simultaneous magneto-optical trapping of two isotopes. This is achieved by switching the RF signals alternately, which suppresses the generation of unwanted frequency signals and improves the laser power per sideband. The generated sidebands are successfully applied to a dual-rubidium-isotope magneto-optical trap (MOT), which results in an increased number of trapped atoms. This simple, flexible, and robust technique can be implemented in experiments that require a large number of atoms in multiple-isotope MOTs and for various applications.

The central molecular zone (CMZ) in the central half kpc of the Milky Way is a massive concentration of molecular gas in the center of a barred spiral galaxy. Current and past activities in the Galactic center include the formation of massive stars/clusters, AGN feeding, and feedback. At the same time, observations of molecular gas in external galaxies show that many disk galaxies have similar condensations of molecular gas in their central kpc or so. They also have CMZs, or nuclear molecular rings or concentrations in more common terms among extragalactic observers. The formation of the CMZs are often, but not always, related to stellar bars. The centers of nearby galaxies can provide valuable information on the general properties of galactic centers and CMZs through comparative studies of multiple galactic centers of different characteristics from various viewing angles. Linear resolutions achieved toward nearby extragalactic CMZs with modern radio interferometers are now comparable to those achieved toward the Galactic CMZ with small single-dish telescopes. I review and present work on the formation mechanism and properties of the CMZs in external galaxies with some comparisons with the CMZ of our Galaxy.

[1] Using an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model, we examine the cold-core rings pinched off from the Kuroshio Extension (KE), focusing on their tracer transport. The origin of the tracers in the rings and how they are trapped are directly investigated by releasing two passive tracers, corresponding to the KE water and the water in the Mixed-Water Region (MWR) to the north of the KE. The cold-core rings carry the tracer in the MWR wrapped by the KE water from the surface to the bottom at the pinch-off. In and above the upper thermocline ( σθ

[1] We studied the relationship between assessments of water mass formation estimated by thermodynamic and kinematic methods by applying both methods to the Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) and Central Mode Water (CMW) formation regions of the North Pacific. We used long-term outputs of a high-resolution general circulation model under climatological normal year forcings to calculate the water mass transformation rate and its density derivative (the net formation rate) and to examine the roles of mixing, shortwave penetration, and mesoscale eddies. Diagnosis of the thermodynamic relationship indicated that the transformation rate associated with surface density flux largely explained the net transformation rate. The difference of these rates, the total mixing effect, was relatively small compared with previous estimates. Explicit and implicit mixing largely explained the total mixing effect. Diagnosis of the kinematic relationship indicated that the annual subduction rate could be calculated from the net transformation rate and the open boundary volume flux over the analysis region. Comparison of both methods implied that the source of subducted STMW was determined mainly by the transformation associated with surface density flux, but this conclusion was not true for CMW. The modeled effects of internal mixing and volume flux from the north (Oyashio Current) also became important in the formation of CMW. Omission of shortwave penetration led to an error in the air-sea transformation and formation rates in the STMW and CMW regions. We also found the important roles of mesoscale eddies in the transformation and formation of mode waters.

B4C is widely used as control rods in light water reactors, such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, because it shows excellent neutron absorption and has a high melting point. However, B4C can melt at lower temperatures owing to eutectic interactions with stainless steel and can even evaporate by reacting with high-temperature steam under severe accident conditions. To reduce the risk of recriticality, a precise understanding of the location and chemical state of B in the melt core is necessary. Here we show that a novel soft X-ray emission spectrometer in electron probe microanalysis can help to obtain a chemical state map of B in a modeled control rod after a high-temperature steam oxidation test., 模擬溶融デブリ中のホウ素の化学状態分布の解析に成功－福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉推進への貢献に期待－. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2016-05-17.

We demonstrated a frequency offset locking between two laser sources using a waveguide-type electro-optic modulator (EOM) with 10th-order sidebands for magneto-optical trapping of Fr atoms. The frequency locking error signal was successfully obtained by performing delayed self-homodyne detection of the beat signal between the repumping frequency and the 10th-order sideband component of the trapping light. Sweeping the trapping-light and repumping-light frequencies with keeping its frequency difference of 46 GHz was confirmed over 1 GHz by monitoring the Doppler absorption profile of I2. This technique enables us to search for a resonance frequency of magneto-optical trapping of Fr., 6 pages, 6 figures

Questions like “What is the cell or vesicle size that frees lipid molecules in bilayers from membrane curvature strains?” and “Why is the size of self-reproducible eukaryotic cell over 10 μm?” are topics regarding membrane shape deformation caused by cationic peptide interacted with anionic head group of membrane lipids. The mechanism of direct translocation (cytolysis) of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through biomembranes is discussed in relation to membrane curvature and lipid mobility. It is confirmed that cytolysis happens when cationic CPP or AMP molecules interact with anionic lipid head groups to generate local and transient catenoid pores with negative Gaussian curvature. The translocation of CPP and AMP, or more generally, the vesicle shape change caused by physical or chemical modifiers is possible only under the condition that the lipid is under a lamellar liquid crystal ( L d ) phase to be mobile. This condition could be given primarily for the planar membrane with negligible curvature strain to make local or even whole topological modification. There must be a threshold level in the vesicle size that forces lipids to become immobile to maintain vesicle structures, which exceeds the bending energy provided by CPP or AMP to release curvature strain. As such, planarity is important for biomembranes to be flexible enough to accommodate necessary local topology changes, which is the key of controlling the stimuli responsive barrier function of cell membrane.

In order to secure the structural integrity of aeronautic structures, several structural health monitoring techniques have been studied throughout history. One of the most recent technologies developed involves the use of continuous sensors, made of thin films of nanocomposite material. Previous works proved that the ITO/PMMA nanocomposite sensor (ITO—indium tin oxide) nanobelts inserted in a matrix of PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) was capable of detecting a certain damage by comparing the values of resistances between two points before and after the damage occurrence, however some uncertainties were found. Two problems were found during the development of the sensors: first of them was the difficulty to obtain uniformity of the coating material through its monitored area and; the second one was the influence of environmental changes on the measurements. The uniformity problem was solved by enhancing the nanocomposite synthetizing method, which resulted in more constant readings of resistances, although there were still variations on measurements taken on different days. To verify the cause of this oscillation, several tests were performed in an environmental chamber, in which the temperature and the humidity were controlled during the measurements, making it possible to find out which parameter would cause more changes on the readings.

We present high resolution (0."4) IRAM PdBI and ALMA mm and submm observations of the (ultra) luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) IRAS17208-0014, Arp220, IC860 and Zw049.057 that reveal intense line emission from vibrationally excited ($��_2$=1) J=3-2 and 4-3 HCN. The emission is emerging from buried, compact (r$$5\times 10^{13}$ L$_{\odot}$ kpc$^{-2}$. These nuclei are likely powered by accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and/or hot (>200 K) extreme starbursts. Vibrational, $��_2$=1, lines of HCN are excited by intense 14 micron mid-infrared emission and are excellent probes of the dynamics, masses, and physical conditions of (U)LIRG nuclei when H$_2$ column densities exceed $10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. It is clear that these lines open up a new interesting avenue to gain access to the most obscured AGNs and starbursts. Vibrationally excited HCN acts as a proxy for the absorbed mid-infrared emission from the embedded nuclei, which allows for reconstruction of the intrinsic, hotter dust SED. In contrast, we show strong evidence that the ground vibrational state ($��$=0), J=3-2 and 4-3 rotational lines of HCN and HCO$^+$ fail to probe the highly enshrouded, compact nuclear regions owing to strong self- and continuum absorption. The HCN and HCO$^+$ line profiles are double-peaked because of the absorption and show evidence of non-circular motions - possibly in the form of in- or outflows. Detections of vibrationally excited HCN in external galaxies are so far limited to ULIRGs and early-type spiral LIRGs, and we discuss possible causes for this. We tentatively suggest that the peak of vibrationally excited HCN emission is connected to a rapid stage of nuclear growth, before the phase of strong feedback., 13 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

In this research, thermal desorption characteristics of deuterium retained at trap sites of W created by irradiation of 300 keV hydrogen ions have been studied. With 10 hours of annealing, about 85...

Dietary nitrite and nitrate are important sources of nitric oxide (NO). However, the use of nitrite as an antihypertensive drug may be limited by increased oxidative stress associated with hypertension. We evaluated the antihypertensive effects of sodium nitrite given in drinking water for 4weeks in two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats and the effects induced by nitrite on NO bioavailability and oxidative stress. We found that, even under the increased oxidative stress conditions present in 2K1C hypertension, nitrite reduced systolic blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas treatment with nitrite did not significantly change plasma nitrite concentrations in 2K1C rats, it increased plasma nitrate levels significantly. Surprisingly, nitrite treatment exerted antioxidant effects in both hypertensive and sham-normotensive control rats. A series of in vitro experiments was carried out to show that the antioxidant effects induced by nitrite do not involve direct antioxidant effects or xanthine oxidase activity inhibition. Conversely, nitrite decreased vascular NADPH oxidase activity. Taken together, our results show for the first time that nitrite has antihypertensive effects in 2K1C hypertensive rats, which may be due to its antioxidant properties resulting from vascular NADPH oxidase activity inhibition.

In Japan, Cryptomeria japonica pollen (with diameter ~30 μm) is scattered during each spring season. Daughter allergenic particles, which are smaller in size than their parent pollen grain and are abundant in fine particles (the particle sizes 7.0 μm) was poor. The possible reason may be pollen burst at high humidity before rainfall. Additionally, Cry j 1 contents were emitted from the so-called Ubisch body, which contains allergenic Cry j 1 abundantly when pollen was in contact with rainfall. In particular, we found that 60% of allergenic Cry j 1 contents released in air polluted rainfall contained Ca2+ ion derived from road dust and ADS. Therefore, rainfall should be a main factor to induce transition of pollen allergenic contents to fine particles. In conclusion, allergenic particles which are small sized and translated into fine particles by rainfall can be inhaled into the lower respiratory tract and contribute to the hypersensitivity of asthma.

Herbert hardness tester is a typical pendulum hardness tester. In this work, the tester is improved based on the model modified by Habara et al. The improved tester makes it possible to measure the swing motion of the tester electrically. The new hardness “Damping hardness” is derived form the damping factor of a swing angle–time curve observed.

The degradation and recovery behavior of the device performance of Ge diodes and p-Ge MOSFETs irradiated by 2-MeV electrons are studied. For diodes, it is noted that both the reverse and forward current increase after irradiation. However, an interesting observation is that the forward current decreases after irradiation for a forward voltage larger than ~0.7V. This reduction can be explained by an increased resistivity of the n-well in the germanium substrate. For the transistors, after irradiation, a slight negative shift of the threshold voltage and a decrease of the drain current input and output characteristics have been observed together with a decrease of the hole mobility. This is mainly due to the increase of the absolute value of the threshold voltage induced by positive charges in the gate oxide. The degradation recovers by thermal annealing after irradiation. For 1x10^1^7e/cm^2, the diode performance almost completely recovers to the initial condition after a 250^oC annealing and the anneal process is characterized by an activation energy of 0.59eV. For transistor irradiated to 5x10^1^7e/cm^2, the device performance also recovers but with an activation energy of 0.33eV.

Glucosamine, a naturally occurring amino monosaccharide, is present in the connective and cartilage tissues as a component of glycosaminoglycans. Thus, glucosamine has been widely used to treat osteoarthritis, a joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, in humans. In addition, glucosamine is expected to exert an anti-inflammatory action, since glucosamine suppresses inflammatory cell activation. To further extend the anti-inflammatory actions of glucosamine, we investigated the effects of glucosamine on synovial cells, endothelial cells and intestinal epithelial cells using in vitro and in vivo systems. Firstly, glucosamine suppressed the IL-1β-induced activation of synovial cells in vitro. Furthermore, glucosamine administration repressed synovial cell hyperplasia, cartilage destruction and inflammatory cell infiltration in rat adjuvant arthritis. Secondary, glucosamine suppressed the TNF-α-induced activation of intestinal epithelial cell HT-29 in vitro. In addition, glucosamine administration improved the clinical symptoms, and colonic inflammation and tissue injury in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in rats. Finally, glucosamine suppressed the TNF-α-induced activation of endothelial cells in vitro. Moreover, glucosamine administration repressed the formation of atherosclerotic lesion and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lesion in spontaneously hyperlipidemic mice B6 KOR Aposhl. Together these observations support the idea that glucosamine can function as not only a chondroprotective agent but also an anti-inflammatory molecule in the body.

Electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) experiments have been made in Heliotron J by using an upgraded EC launching system. A focused Gaussian beam is injected with the parallel refractive index, N||, ranging from -0.05 to 0.6. Ray tracing calculation shows that the EC power is more localized than that in the previous launching system. In the initial ECCD experiment, the EC injection angle has been successfully scanned as designed. Comparison between perpendicular and oblique launching experiments shows that for standard configuration, the EC current of 1 kA is driven at N� ∼ 0.3 in the Fisch-Boozer direction, and the bootstrap current flows up to 1 kA. A large increase in electron cyclotron emission (ECE) signals has been observed when the EC current was driven. c

The effect of ultrasound sonication on the electroplating of iridium in an aqueous hexabromoiridate(III) is examined at several different ultrasound intensities. Ultrasound sonication is effective not only in inhibiting the crack formation in iridium deposits but also in decreasing the surface roughness of iridium electrodeposits. Those effects of ultrasound sonication are attributed to the enhancement of the amount and uniformity of mass transport caused by the thinning of diffusion layer due to the agitating action of sonication.

© 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd. To increase output power for piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters, considerable attention has recently been focused on a self-powered synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) technique employing an electrical and mechanical switch. However, there are two technical issues: in a medium or highly coupled harvester, the piezoelectric coupling force, which increases as the SSHI's voltage increases, will reduce the harvester's displacement and the resulting output power, and there are few reports comparing the performance of electrical switch SSHI (ESS) and mechanical switch SSHI (MSS) that include consideration of the piezoelectric coupling force. We developed a simulation technique that allows us to evaluate the output power considering the piezoelectric coupling force, and investigated the performance of stopper-based MSS and ESS, both numerically and experimentally. The numerical investigation predicted the following: (1) the output power for the ESS is lower than that for the MSS at acceleration lower than 3.5 m s-2; and (2) intriguingly, the output power for the MSS continues to increase, whereas the peak-peak displacement remains constant. The experimental results showed behaviour similar to that of the numerical predictions. The results are attributed to the different switching strategies: the MSS turns on only when the harvester's displacement exceeds the gap distance, while the ESS turns on at every maximum/minimum displacement.

A PZT detector is used for measuring the energy fluence rate of X-ray pulses produced by superficial cancer therapy equipment (orthovoltage range). The instrument consists of a pyroelectric sensor, a low-noise high-sensitivity, current-to-voltage converter, a microcontroller and a digital display. The main element of the instrument is a pyroelectric sensor which consists of an iron-doped lead zirconate titanate ceramic disk. The response of the instrument exhibits a nonlinear relationship with the energy fluence rate of the radiation and the precision is better than 3%. The equipment is inexpensive, rugged, simple to construct, and has good long-term stability.

We report measurement of frequencies of tellurium lines with respect to atomic calcium employing a 423 nm commercial violet laser diode placed in an extended cavity. Doppler-free saturated absorption spectroscopy of molecular tellurium is performed on three lines, which are lower and higher in energy to the calcium 4s2 1S0–4s4p 1P1 transition. The measured frequency difference of 717(13) MHz between the strong absorption line, #1508 in the tellurium atlas and the calcium transition is in agreement within 10% of the values available from literature. Wavenumbers of two new tellurium lines are derived from the measurement. In addition, spectroscopy and laser cooling and trapping of francium (n = 7) on the ns 2S1/2–(n + 1)p 2P3/2 transition and spectroscopy of Te2 lines near francium could be performed employing the 423 nm diode laser.

Many genes related to the circadian rhythm, especially those involved in phase shifts induced by different environmental stimuli, still remain enigmatic. In this study, the authors monitored the expression of rat genes measured with multiple phase-resetting stimuli, and developed a technique to extract the candidate genes for the changes in circadian rhythm by the stimuli, from microarray data. First, the spectra for the time series of gene expression were estimated by fast Fourier transform, and then two fitting methods, the random period fitting method and the conditional curve fitting method, using the estimated periods as the initial values, were applied to the control and the stimulated expression data to estimate the periods and the phases. Finally, by comparing the two sets of periods and phases, the period change and the phase shift by stimuli were estimated to extract the candidate genes related to the master clock, by mapping the period change and the phase shift on a two-dimensional space, a period-phase map (PPM). As an indirect validation of the genes selected by our method, the significant enrichment of extracted gene clusters on the PPM was further evaluated, in terms of biological function. As a result, the gene clusters related to photoreceptors and neural regulation emerged on the PPM, thus implying the relationships in the stimulus response of the master clock that resides in the brain at the intersection of the optic nerves. Thus, the present approach is a feasible means to explore the oscillatory genes related to stimulus responses.

Three types of PFPE lubricants (Z-tetraol, TA-30, and D-4OH) with different molecular structures were coated on magnetic disks and the conformations of these films were studied by atomic force microscopy using a fluoride-coated probe. The molecular conformations of these lubricant films were found to be different from each other. The Z-tetraol film showed the highest molecular height and lowest coverage among these lubricants. The TA-30 film showed a double-layer structure and the highest coverage among the lubricant films. The D-4OH film showed a monolayer structure and higher coverage than the Z-tetraol film. These observed were in agreement with the results of molecular dynamics simulations. In these simulations, the TA-30 film showed the highest coverage and lowest molecular height among the three lubricant films because the TA-30 molecules did not form a random coil shape and were adsorbed rigidly on the disk surface. The Z-tetraol molecules were adsorbed and formed a random coil shape. The D-4OH molecules were also adsorbed and formed a spiral shape.

Variable inductors, which consist of only a magnetic core and primary dc and secondary ac windings, can control effective inductance of the secondary ac winding by primary dc excitation. Therefore, the variable inductors can be applied as a var compensator in electric power systems. In a previous paper, we have proposed a novel three-phase-laminated-core variable inductor. It has only one laminated core in which the three-phase secondary ac windings are installed to reduce size and weight in comparison with a conventional single-phase variable inductor. Good controllability and sinusoidal output current of the proposed variable inductor were demonstrated. This paper presents a method for calculating iron loss of the three-phase-laminated-core variable inductor based on reluctance network analysis (RNA). The validity of the proposed method is proved by comparing with measured values.

Flexible piezoelectric composite films made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in powder form and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic powder were obtained by mixing both powders and pressing at 180°C. The effect of PZT on PHB crystallization was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor were analyzed by dielectric spectroscopy and the α-relaxation of amorphous phase of PHB was observed. After suitable polarization, the composite film displayed piezoelectric activity indicating the possibility of using that material as a sensor. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers

For the purpose of improvement of the conversion efficiency of solar cells by applying the effect of the wavelength conversion of a rare earth (RE) ion, photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of the Sm-doped KMgF3 crystal were investigated. It was found that all the PLE spectra below 500 nm were effective to convert to PL spectra above 540 nm and that the solar cell possessed high spectral response. When a thin disc crystal of KMgF3:Sm was placed on the top of CdS/CdTe solar cell as a precursor for wavelength conversion, both the maximum output power and the conversion efficiency increased by 5% as compared with the case of a pure KMgF3 crystal. The present results are compared with the experimental results of wavelength conversion solar cells performed until now, and some features are discussed.

Effects of radiation damage on deuterium trapping in tungsten were investigated using SIMS/NRA and TDS techniques. Radiation damage of ~4.8 dpa was produced by 300 and 700 keV hydrogen ions, then deuterium ions were implanted at 473 K to fluences of 0.5-8.0 x 10 24 D + /m 2 . Deuterium concentration at ~0.1 μm in depth was saturated at the lowest fluence (∼5.0 x 10 23 D + /m 2 ), while the D retention at ~1.0 μm deep was not saturated at the highest fluence of ~8.0 x 10 24 D + /m 2 . On the other hand, deuterium behavior simulated by the TMAP7 code showed that the defects were filled with the implanted D from the top surface and all of the traps were filled at the fluence of ~7.5 x 10 22 D + /m 2 , which was much lower than the fluences in this experiment. TDS spectra suggested that the implanted D was trapped at the radiation-induced defects which had desorption peaks at ~770 and ~920 K.

Effects of radiation damage on the behavior of hydrogen trapped in tungsten were investigated using a mixed hydrogen–carbon ion beam and deuterium ion beam. Radiation damage was produced by 300 and 700 keV negative hydrogen ion beams. The number density of blisters formed on the radiation-damaged samples was less than an undamaged sample. SIMS measurements showed that post-implanted deuterium was mainly trapped at radiation damage sites. These results suggest that hydrogen accumulation at the grain boundaries is greatly decreased due to significant trapping of hydrogen isotopes at radiation damage sites.

This paper presents a novel three-phase laminated-core variable inductor made for the purpose of voltage stabilization in electric power systems. The proposed variable inductor has three-phase secondary ac windings together in one laminated-core to reduce the size and weight in comparison with the other single-phase ones. It can be applied as a var compensator since it can control the effective inductance of the secondary ac windings by dc excitation from the primary dc windings. First, the operating principle of the three-phase laminated-core variable inductor is described. Next, a trial 4.0 kVA variable inductor is designed based on reluctance network analysis (RNA), and then, the availability of the proposed variable inductor, which has good controllability and sinusoidal output current, is proved in experiments.

The radiation damage induced by 2-MeV electrons and 70-MeV protons in p + n diodes and p-channel MOS transistors, fabricated in epitaxial Ge-on-Si substrates is reported for the first time. For irradiation above 5×10 15 e/cm 2 , it is noted that both the reverse and forward current increase, and that the forward current is lower after irradiation for a forward voltage larger than about 0.5 V. The reason for this might be an increased resistivity of the Ge-on-Si substrate. For p-MOSFETs, for a 1×10 16 e/cm 2 dose, a slight negative shift of the threshold voltage and a decrease of the drain current for input and output characteristics have been observed. In addition, g m decreases after irradiation. The degradation of the transistor performance is thought to be due to irradiation-induced positive charges in the high- κ gate dielectric. The induced lattice defects are also mainly responsible for the leakage current increase of the irradiated diodes.

Freestanding castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) film was obtained using spin-coating method. The effect of polyol content was analysed by means of thermally stimulated depolarisation current and AC dielectric measurements techniques. Two relaxation peaks were observed in the temperature range of −40 to 60 °C for PU with different polyol contents. The presence of polyol excess provides a shift to lower temperature of the α relaxation and the decrease in the activation energy of the transition in this region might be attributed to the plasticising effect of the polyol. The peak at higher temperature is due to the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars relaxation, which also shifts in the low temperature direction as the polyol content is increased.

We developed a special type of 7 T 240 mm vertical bore cryogen-free superconducting magnet system, which will be used for gyrotron. The magnet system consists of three sets of coils which are charged separately. A set of main coils is wound with NbTi conductor and produces 7 T at the center of the bore tube. A set of gun coils is also wound with NbTi conductor and located below the main coil. It produces up to -1.4 T at a lower part of the bore tube and controls the magnetic field where a gun is located. A set of sweep coils are located inside of the main coil. The sweep coil produces only +/- 0.2 T but is charged and discharged within several seconds so as to control electron trajectory. To avoid quench with the rise of the temperature from the large AC loss, this set of coils are wound with Nb3Sn conductor. Also to reduce the induced current in the main coil, the sweep coil is actively shielded. This magnet system will contribute to the fast control of the gyrotron oscillation frequency.

In order to investigate the effect of radiation damage on hydrogen behavior in tungsten, tungsten samples with radiation damage of up to 3.5 dpa were irradiated by a mixed hydrogen–carbon ion beam. The radiation damage was produced with 700 keV negative hydrogen ion beam irradiation. The number density of blisters produced by the mixed ion beam irradiation decreased with increasing radiation damage. This was especially observed for blisters with diameters of 20 μm or less. This result showed that radiation damage produced by high-energy particle irradiation suppresses blister formation on tungsten surfaces.

Recently, we found that administration of glucosamine to adjuvant arthritis, a model for rheumatoid arthritis, suppressed the progression of arthritis in rats. To clarify its anti-inflammatory mechanism, we evaluated the actions of glucosamine on the activation of synoviocytes in vitro.Synoviocytes isolated from human synovial tissues were stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1beta in the presence of 0.01-1 mM glucosamine. IL-8 and prostaglandin (PG) E(2) were measured by ELISA, and nitric oxide was quantitated by Griess assay. IL-8 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Furthermore, the effect of glucosamine on the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the binding of [(125)I] IL-1beta to its receptors were examined using a primary human synovial cell line (CSABI- 479).Glucosamine significantly suppressed the IL-1beta-induced IL-8 production as well as its mRNA expression (p0.05) at 1 mM. Furthermore, glucosamine (1 mM) inhibited the IL-1beta-induced nitric oxide and PGE(2) production (p0.05). Moreover, glucosamine suppressed the IL-1beta-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (p0.05 at0.1 mM) and the IL-1beta-binding to its receptors (p0.05 at 1 mM).These observations suggest that glucosamine can suppress the IL-1beta-mediated activation of synoviocytes (such as IL-8-, nitric oxide- and PGE(2)-production, and phosphorylation of p38 MAPK), thereby possibly exhibiting antiinflammatory actions in arthritis.

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a precision technique useful for obtaining high quality ceramic bodies with controlled dimensions and smooth coatings. The electrophoretic deposition rate is highly dependent on the surface chemistry of the powders, especially when dealing with multi-component systems. The objective of this work is to study the surface reactivity of both ZrO2 and MgO in ethanol suspension to provide experimental benchmarks to control EPD of a ZrO2–3 wt% MgO mechanical mixture (Z3M) in ethanol. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that ZrO2 surface spontaneously reacts with ethanol, generating negative electrophoretic mobility of the particles (−0.07 × 10−8 V−1 s−1) measured by Electroacoustic Sonic Amplitude (ESA). MgO surface also spontaneously reacted with ethanol, but a positive electrophoretic mobility was observed in this case (0.26 × 10−8 V−1 s−1). Scanning Electron Microscopy of Z3M dried from ethanol suspension showed that MgO particles were located around the ZrO2 particles, forming composite agglomerates, probably due to the electrostatic attraction between MgO and ZrO2 particles. Homogeneous deposits could be obtained from EPD of Z3M ethanol suspensions. Mercury intrusion porosimetry showed that the ZrO2–MgO green deposited bodies using different voltages had similar pores diameters distributions, indicating that the ZrO2–MgO agglomerates are not affected by the increasing deposition rates.

The concept for a compact DEMO reactor named 'SlimCS' is presented. Distinctive features of the concept are low aspect ratio (A = 2.6) and use of a reduced-size centre solenoid (CS) which has the function of plasma shaping rather than poloidal flux supply. The reduced-size CS enables us to introduce a thin toroidal field coil system which contributes to reducing the weight and perhaps lessening the construction cost. Low-A has merits of vertical stability for high elongation (κ) and high normalized beta (βN), which leads to a high power density with reasonable physics requirements. This is because high κ facilitates high nGW (because of an increase in Ip), which allows efficient use of the capacity of high βN. From an engineering aspect, low-A may ensure ease in designing blanket modules robust to electromagnetic forces acting on disruptions. Thus, a superconducting low-A tokamak reactor such as SlimCS can be a promising DEMO concept with physics and engineering advantages.