Electron-temperature control by varying dc voltage to a mesh grid covered by thin film in plasmas

We discuss theoretically how the resistance of a film deposited on the metal grid affects the efficiency of electron-temperature control by employing a grid-bias method, in which, by using a naked metal grid, the electron temperature decreases from 3.4 to 0.12 eV with a decrease in the grid potential from 40 to − 60 V, being accompanied by an electron-density increase from 0.6 × 10⁹ cm^− 3 to 6.0 × 10⁹ cm^− 3 at an argon gas pressure of 5.0 mTorr. The electron temperature can be varied even when the grid is covered with a film with finite resistance, although the range of electron temperature variation is restricted. This method is applicable to reactive plasmas in which grids are often covered by films with finite resistance.     

Mechanisms of nitroso compound-induced inhibition of superoxide generation in neutrophils: fluorescence quenching of perylene by nitroso-compounds in the membrane fractions of neutrophils

To investigate the mechanism of nitroso compound-induced inhibition of the respiratory burst in neutrophils, we studied fluorescence quenching of perylene by nitroso-compounds in the membrane fractions of neutrophils at 17, 27, and 37 degrees C and the reagent-induced inhibition of superoxide generation at 28 and 37 degrees C. With increasing temperature, the quenching of perylene fluorescence and inhibition of superoxide generation by nitrosobenzene (NB) were both diminished, while those by 2-nitrosotoluene (NT) were both enhanced. The temperature dependence of the inhibition constants and the quenching constants indicates that the binding of NB is exothermic (deltaH= -27 kJ/mol for inhibition and deltaH= -29 kJ/mol for quenching) and essentially enthalpy-driven. On the other hand, that of NT is endothermic (deltaH= +16 kJ/mol for inhibition and quenching) and essentially entropy-driven. Quenching studies of perylene fluorescence in synthetic vesicles made of endogenous polar lipids of neutrophils showed that the enthalpy changes of NB- and NT-binding with perylene in lipids were similar to each other. Moreover, their values were in good agreement with that of NT, but not of NB, in the membrane fractions, an assembly of proteins and lipids, of neutrophils. These results suggest that NB inhibits the activity by binding to proteins in the membrane, whereas inhibition by NT occurs through hydrophobic interaction with lipids and/or proteins.     

Gain of TE-TM modes in quantum-well lasers

Semiclassical laser theory is rigorously applied to semiconductor lasers in order to obtain both the complete TE and TM linear gain. The resulting expressions for the modal gain in heterostructure lasers differ in form from those conventionally accepted. In particular, the conventional modal gain written as the product of a confinement factor and a bulk gain is only an approximation of the true modal gain derived. The conventional expression relies on an explicit definition of the active region of the laser, which can be ambiguous when certain heterostructures, such as parabolic quantum wells, are to be treated. This ambiguity is eliminated by the gain expressions as a more natural active region defined by the product of electron and hole wave functions emerges. The relevant approximations which allow the newly derived gain equations to be written in forms similar to the conventional expressions for single quantum well, multiquantum well (MQW), and in wide active region lasers are explicitly shown     

SIGHT-A Dedicated Computer Graphics Machine

The. architecture of, and a performance estimate for, the dedicated graphics processor - SIGHT, a high-speed ray tracing machine, are presented. Ray tracing is a vector calculation in 3–dimensional (3–D) space and each ray to be traced can be calculated independently. The SIGHT is designed so that it speeds up the execution of the ray tracing algorithm at two levels of parallel operations: the pixel-level parallel operation by multiprocessors and the instruction-level parallel operation by the new processing element (PE) architecture. The features of the PE are:     

Synthesis of novel oligosaccharides from leucrose by an alpha-glucosidase

An alpha-glucosidase was purified in an electrophoretically pure state from an extract of koji culture of Aspergillus sp. KT-11. This enzyme was found to have a transferring activity when the reaction was done in a high concentration of leucrose at pH 4.5. Two kinds of transfer products, fractions I and II, were obtained from leucrose by the enzyme and they were identified as [(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1-->5)-D-fructopyranose] and [alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->5)-D- fructopyranose], respectively. These are considered to be novel oligosaccharides.     

Efficiently activated carbon fiber derived from grafted novoloid fiber

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto novoloid fiber was carried out by the electron beam mutual irradiation method. The characteristics of the grafted fiber were almost the same as those of the original novoloid fiber. The grafted fiber was carbonized and activated to yield an efficiently activated carbon fiber. The yield and the specific surface area of the activated carbon fiber, derived from the grafted novoloid fiber, were much greater than those derived from the original novoloid fiber. This is because grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) decomposes into monomer and gaseous products, forming pores on the surface and inside of the novoloid fiber on heating. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Characteristics of mutations in the p53 gene of oral squamous-cell carcinomas associated with betel-quid chewing in Sri Lanka

The PCR copy of the ribR gene of Bacillus subtilis was subcloned in Escherichia coli cells under the control of the phage T7 inducible promoter. The polypeptide of 26 kDa corresponding to the 690-bp gene is the product of the ribR gene. The protein encoded by the ribR gene is flavokinase, and the riboflavin-reduced form is the substrate for it.     

Self-regenerating bone implant: ectopic osteoinduction following intramuscular implantation of a combination of rhBMP-2, atelopeptide type I collagen and porous hydroxyapatite

A combination of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), atelopeptide Type I collagen (CL) as a carrier and porous hydroxyapatite (pHAP) was implanted in a calf muscle pouch of the rat. Three rhBMP-2-implanted groups (2, 10 and 50 micrograms; each n = 5) and the control group (n = 5), in which only CL and pHAP were implanted, were established. Three weeks later, the implants were examined.     

The effects of colony-stimulating factor-1 on the number and ultrastructure of osteoclasts in toothless (tl) rats and osteopetrotic (op) mice

The role of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1 or M-CSF) in osteoclast development is illustrated by observations that administration of exogenous CSF-1 increases osteoclast number and improves the skeletal sclerosis of two osteopetrotic mutations, toothless (tl) in the rat and osteopetrotic (op) in the mouse. We examined the effects of CSF-1 treatment on the number and ultrastructure of osteoclasts in the tibial metaphysis of normal and mutant animals of both stocks to understand the similarities and differences between these two mutations. Osteoclasts from normal animals of both stocks were abundant and possessed the ultrastructural features of active cells. These included apical areas in contact with mineralized surfaces with tightly apposed clear zones, extensive ruffled borders, and a vacuolated cytoplasm with numerous mitochondria. In toothless rats osteoclasts were difficult to locate and those present had poorly defined ruffled borders, fewer cytoplasmic vacuoles, and a basal membrane with both smooth and ruffled areas. Large lipid accumulations were often found near tl osteoclasts. Osteoclasts in op mice were difficult to find, but more numerous than in tl rats. Unlike tl osteoclasts, those of op mice possessed very well developed ruffled borders, small clear zones, and large electron-dense cytoplasmic inclusions. These cells also had unusual basal membranes with both smooth and ruffled regions. CSF-1 treatment increased the number of osteoclasts in both mutant stocks, normalizing the numbers in op mice, but not tl rats. CSF-1 injections caused dramatic changes in the morphology of tl osteoclasts, including increased incidence and size of ruffled borders and cytoplasmic vacuolization. The growth factor had little effect on ruffled borders or clear zones in op mice. Interestingly, mutant osteoclasts of both stocks exhibited a ruffled basal membrane in response to CSF-1 treatment. This increase in membrane ruffling may reflect the ability of CSF-1 to promote rapid formation of osteoclasts from mononuclear precursors in a more permissive microenvironment. Our data indicate that CSF-1 is not required for the development of at least some osteoclasts. The differences in response to CSF-1 treatment which we report lead us to speculate that additional factors may be involved in osteoclastogenesis.     

Creep-rupture properties and grain-boundary sliding in wrought cobalt-base HS-21 alloys at high temperatures

The effects of serrated grain boundaries on the creep-rupture properties of wrought cobaltbase HS-21 alloys were investigated at 1311 and 1422 K. The amount of grain-boundary sliding and the initiation and growth of grain-boundary cracks were also examined during creep at 1311 K. Specimens with serrated grain boundaries exhibited longer rupture life and larger rupture ductility than those with straight grain boundaries, but these specimens had almost the same rupture life and rupture ductility under lower stresses at 1422 K, because serrated grain boundaries were also formed in specimens with originally straight grain boundaries. The average amount of grain-boundary sliding during creep at 1311 K increased with time (or with creep strain), but was almost the same in both specimens with serrated grain boundaries and those with straight grain boundaries at the same creep strain. Grain-boundary cracks or voids initiated in the early stage of creep in those specimens at 1311 K. Therefore, the strengthening by serrated grain boundaries at high temperatures above about 1311 K was attributed to the retardation of growth and linkage of grain-boundary cracks and voids.