Flight Model Performance of 640-GHz Superconductor–Insulator–Superconductor Mixers for JEM/SMILES Mission

Performances of 640-GHz Superconductor–Insulator–Superconductor (SIS) mixers developed for the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) mission are described. SMILES, launched in September 2009, is the first mission to observe atmosphere from space using superconducting mixers. Ground test performances of the SIS mixers show very flat gain and noise characteristics in their observation bands in compliance with the specifications required for SMILES.     

Synergistic effect of Pt or Pd and perovskite oxide for water gas shift reaction

The water gas shift (WGS) reaction over Pt and Pd catalysts supported on various perovskite oxides has been investigated at 573 K without catalyst pretreatment. The Pt and Pd catalysts on LaCoO₃ support showed high catalytic activity. Interaction between Pt or Pd and the support is considered to promote the WGS reaction: Pt/LaCoO₃ had high initial activity but deactivated immediately; Pd/LaCoO₃ was less active than Pt/LaCoO₃, but had superior stability. Catalysts were characterized using XRD, STEM, XPS, and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (TPR). Results of this study showed that reduction of the support decreased the CO conversion on Pt/LaCoO₃. On the other hand, Pd/LaCoO₃ showed stable activity for the WGS reaction. Therefore, Pd was added to Pt/LaCoO₃ for stabilizing the catalyst activity, and 0.5 wt.% Pd/1 wt.% Pt/LaCoO₃ catalyst showed higher activity and stability.     

The Effect of Air Foam Inclusion on the Permeability and Absorption Properties of Light Weight Soil

Cement-treated clay with air foam, which is called Super Geo-Material (SGM), was developed to utilize dredged clay in an effective way. As SGM is mainly used at levels below the ground water table, water permeability and absorption properties of SGM will affect the durability of the material. In this research, the changes in SGM permeability and absorption as functions of the air foam fraction were investigated. First, permeability tests with triaxial apparatus and constant rate of consolidation tests were conducted on samples containing less than 10% of air foam by volume. From the results, air foam was found to be an impermeable medium in SGM. Secondly, a series of permeability tests and absorption tests were conducted for the SGM with different fractions of air foam while observing the specimen with a micro focus X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. The results showed that the permeability of SGM increased dramatically due to the appearance of interior water channels when the air foam fraction exceeded 30% by volume. The density distribution change and water absorbed zones of the specimens during absorption tests were estimated using the X-ray CT data. From these results, the air in the SGM was found to be progressively substituted with water from the surface to the inside of the specimen and the substituted zone expanded as it made its way to the specimen interior. The expansion velocity of the substituted zone was not affected by the coefficient of permeability but by the fraction of the air in the specimen.     

A novel ferromagnetic thermo-stent for plaque stabilization that self-regulates the temperature

The purpose of this study is to investigate the vascular wall with a thermally self-regulating, cylindrical stent made of a low Curie temperature ferromagnetic alloy. Physiologic saline was circulated in the silicone model vessel implanted with the stent. The stent-temperature remained nearly constant for variable saline flows, saline temperatures, and magnetic flux densities. Stent implants of this type in human blood vessels could potentially enable thermotherapy and temperature determination without catheterization.     

Molecular recognition by wall-assembling-type nanocavity in aqueous media

Steroid cyclophanes, each having a macrocyclic ring attached to four bile acid moieties via chiral lysine connectors, were synthesized, and the binding of the 2-naphthylphenylketone (guest) to the steroid cyclophanes in water was investigated. The circular dichroism spectra of the steroid cyclophane with cholic acid and L-lysine were significantly affected by the binding of the guest, and the induced circular dichroism based on the absorption of the achiral guest was also observed. The binding of the guest to the steroid cyclophane with cholic acids and D-lysines induced changes in the circular dichroism spectra with the opposite sign of the molecular ellipticities. An induced circular dichroism spectral change was not observed upon binding of the guest to the analogous host without OH sites. These results strongly suggest that the guest is conformationally fixed through hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl group of the guest and the steroidal hydroxyl group of the host. The assembly of only four steroid residues on the macrocyclic ring probably provided a hydrophobic nanocavity for hydrogen bonding.     

产品设计对改进产品生命终期的影响

本研究的主要目标是在鼓励创造性思维的同时，建立一个结构化方法用于阐明产品生命周期策略。当前提倡采用适用于大多数产品的通用规则。联系“通用性”原则，与“放之四海皆准”的方法相比，本研究找出了影响产品生命终期的主要因素。研究结果可分为两个核心部分。第一，根据产品的技术特性，该方法论确定了合理的产品生命终期策略第二，为了评估和验证该方法，将产品生命终期策略的分类和当前工业实践进行了对比，开发的产品生命终期设计顾问(ELDA)软件，指导生产商确定适合的产品生命终期策略。对产品生命终期进行分类的能力使得设计者能够重新设计对环境负荷较小产品。这篇文章为设计者和生产管理者提供了合适的产品生命终期策略。通过更深入的理解相应产品的生命终期策略，本文的研究结果能够帮助设计者开发适合他们情况的、系统的产品生命终期策略。通过技术革新或者价值链的改进，将ELDA的结果运用于生命终期改善。     

The effect of the membrane fluidity on pharmacokinetics for lipid A analog E5531

The effect of the dispersing procedure on the aggregate size, membrane fluidity and the pharmacokinetics were evaluated for the lipid A analog E5531. The size of the aggregates prepared by the pH-jump method (pH 11.0 → 7.3) was decreased, reaching 20 nm with increasing dispersing time in 0.003 N NaOH (pH 11.0). The membrane fluidity of the aggregates increased with increasing dispersing time. When prepared by the normal dilution method (pH 7.3 → 7.3), the size of the aggregates remained constant at 150 nm and the membrane fluidity was smaller compared to samples prepared by the pH-jump method. Using samples with different degrees of hydration and different membrane fluidities prepared by the pH-jump method, the pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration into rats were evaluated, and the data obtained confirmed that the membrane fluidity was correlated with the pharmacokinetics in rat. In addition, E5531 vials were stable for 24 months at room temperature when used within 24 hr after reconstitution.     

Serum selenium contents and the risk of cancer

To investigate the relationship between serum Se contents and the risk of cancer, 4857 serum samples were obtained from cancerous (2730) and non-cancerous patients (2127). In this cohort, the incidence of cancer in the non-cancerous patients was followed for the subsequent 3 years. The serum Se level of non-cancerous patients who later developed cancer during the 3 years was determined and compared with that of the non-cancerous patients. A high incidence of cancer was observed in the lower serum Se patients of the non-cancerous group. The serum Se levels of cancerous patients were significantly lower than in non-cancerous patients. These results suggest that the low serum Se level in cancerous patients may not be induced by the tumor but it was more likely already present before the tumor. To calculate the odds ratio, cancerous and non-cancerous patients were divided into group of less than 110 ppb and more than 111 ppb group in serum Se. The odds ratio was estimated to be 1.95, suggesting the high risk of cancer in the low serum Se group.     

The effects of a detuned optical input on bistable laser diodeswith inhomogeneous current injection

The effects of an external optical input on a bistable laser diode (BLD) with inhomogeneous current injection are discussed. The bistable behavior of optical output versus injection current is shown to be variously modified, depending on the wavelength and power of the optical input. Optical set and reset operations and optical logic achieved by optical input pulses can be explained by these characteristics of a BLD modified by an external optical signal. Analysis using rate equations is also offered to help interpretation of experimental results, as well as the optical output and the bias current injected into the BLD