Synthesis of thermoresponsive copolymer/silica-coated magnetite nanoparticle composite and its application for heavy metal ion recovery

To enhance chemical stability and suppress of aggregation of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs), which are used as a support for thermoresponsive copolymer immobilization, silica coating of the MNPs is applied via the electrooxidation method. Although the resulting silica coated-MNPs also formed aggregates, the size distribution of the aggregate shifted to smaller size range. Because of that, the surface area available for copolymer immobilization increased approximately 6.7 times at maximum as compared with that of the uncoated MNPs. It contributed to the increase of the amount of the immobilized copolymer on the silica-coated MNPs, which is approximately four times larger than that on the uncoated MNPs. Fe₃O₄ dissolution test confirmed enhancement of chemical stability of MNPs. The thermoresponsive copolymer immobilized on the silica-coated MNPs shows the ability to recycle Cu(II) ion from Cu(II) containing solution by changing temperature with significantly shorter time than those in other thermoresponsive adsorbents in gel form.     

Recent activities in the field of Nuclear Operational Management and Nuclear Safety Engineering

Recent activities in the field of Nuclear Operational Management and Nuclear Safety Engineering, the studies related to risk analysis methodology, design, and operational management, physical phenomena, and emergency preparedness and nuclear security, have been progressed. Especially, ‘risk analysis methodology’ and ‘design and operational management’ are the main categories of the field, in which more than half of published articles on Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology are related to these categories.     

Low-thermal expansion polycrystalline tantalum tungstate ceramics

The synthesis of thermal-shock-resistant materials from the system Ta₂O₅WO₃ was investigated. Ta₂WO₈ had a very low unit-cell thermal expansion coefficient (+0.5 X 10^–6° C^–1). Ta₃₀W₂O₈₁ also had a relatively low coefficient (+4.0 X 10^–6 ° C^–1) and a thermal durability over 1600° C. The thermal expansion curves of these polycrystalline ceramics were lowered because of microcracks caused by the large thermal expansion anisotropy of the crystal axes and were accompanied by hysteresis loops. The densification of Ta₂WO₈ ceramic was promoted by the addition of some metal oxides, and the strong ceramic of Ta₃₀W₂O₈₁ was obtained by controlling grain growth.     

Operation of superconducting fault current limiter using vacuum interrupter driven by electromagnetic repulsion force for commutating switch

Using conventional high‐temperature superconducting wire, a model superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is made and tested. Solenoid coil using Bi2223 silver sheath wire is so made that inductance is as small as possible and a vacuum interrupter is connected in series to it. A conventional reactor coil is connected in parallel. When the fault current flows in this equipment, superconducting wire is quenched and current is transferred into the parallel coil because of voltage drop of superconducting wire. This large current in parallel coil actuates magnetic repulsion mechanism of vacuum interrupter. Due to opening of vacuum interrupter, the current in superconducting wire is broken. By using this equipment, current flow time in superconducting wire can be easily minimized. On the other hand, the fault current is also easily limited by large reactance of parallel coil. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(1): 52–61, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20315     

Design consideration of singlemode interconnectable star coupler

Reports design considerations for singlemode interconnectable star couplers which consist of directional couplers. The Letter describes a loss peculiar to this design consideration which arises from the reciprocity of the directional couplers.<>     

Graphite formation on Ni film by chemical vapor deposition

Thin film formation of graphite by chemical vapor deposition using 2-methyl-1,2′-naphthyl ketone as a starting material was carried out on Ni film substrates. On Ni films directly deposited on quartz glass, the graphite films were obtained when the Ni film thickness was above 1 000 Å and above 5 000 Å at 700 °C and 1 000 °C, respectively. Depositions on thinner Ni film substrates comprise amorphous carbon (a-C) or graphite tubes which was owing to the thermal coagulation of the Ni film into droplets. On the other hand, graphite film was obtained on the Ni film with thickness 10 Å when a-C was inserted between the Ni film and the quartz glass. The coagulation of the Ni film is considered to be avoided by inserting a-C layer.     

Intestinal metaplasia with adherent Helicobacter pylori: a hybrid epithelium with both gastric and intestinal features

Helicobacter pylori seem to avoid areas of intestinal metaplasia in the gastric mucosa, but attachment of these bacteria to epithelium with the appearance of incomplete intestinal metaplasia has been documented. To characterize the nature of the epithelium to which H pylori was attached, we carried out an immunohistochemical study using monoclonal antibodies against gastric surface mucous cell mucins (M1), blood group-related carbohydrates antigens (Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(b), type 1H, and type 2H) and sialyl Tn antigen. The results of this study suggest that these areas of H pylori attachment represent a hybrid epithelium whose cells share characteristics of both gastric surface mucous cells and intestinal metaplastic cells. Whether all areas of incomplete intestinal metaplasia represent an intermediate stage between the normal gastric epithelium and the fully developed complete type of metaplasia remains to be determined.     

A Fuzzy Expert System for Damage Assessment Using Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks

Abstract: An efficient knowledge-acquisition support method is required for improvement and maintenance of the knowledge base in durability evaluation of an RC bridge deck. Such a method is proposed in this paper to automatically acquire fuzzy production rules. This method makes joint use of genetic algorithms and a neural network. Using a neural network as a subsystem, the evaluation function of genetic algorithms can be provided with the weights of the neural network. Introducing a neural network into genetic algorithms, it is possible to acquire new knowledge so that the method is useful when it is difficult to acquire knowledge in the field.     

Diffusion-controlled size-selective chloride ion sensing in the presence of bromide ion using a thin, nanoporous, plasma-polymerized coating on an Ag/AgCl electrode

We have developed a diffusion-controlled size-selective method for sensing chloride ion in the presence of bromide ion, based on a thin, nanoporous, plasma-polymerized coating of hexamethyldisiloxane on an Ag/AgCl electrode. Sub-nanometer-sized pores responsible for a highly cross-linked polymer network in the plasma-polymerized coating allowed diffusion-controlled permeation of chloride ion while blocking the larger bromide ion. An electrode coating of thickness greater than 70 nm enabled chloride detection in the concentration range 1-10 mM in the presence of 0.63 mM bromide ion. Advantages of this approach are: (1) simple design compared with ionophore-based strategies and (2) compatibility with microfabrication and mass production processes.     

Monte Carlo simulation of hydrogen absorption in palladium and palladium–silver alloys

A modified Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was performed to investigate the hydrogen absorption behavior in Pd and Pd–Ag alloys of the composition Pd_xAg_1−x (x=0.7–0.8) under H₂ pressure (0.1 MPa) at different temperatures. The present method employed can consider the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen molecule and the subsequent absorption of hydrogen atom by formalizing the relationship between the pressure of hydrogen molecule and hydrogen atom. The potential parameters were determined to reproduce the solution enthalpy of hydrogen in pure metals. The results are in good agreement with experimental findings as well as previous theoretical studies. We confirmed that our method is useful to simulate the absorption of hydrogen in metals and alloys.