Effects of surface roughness of substrates on the c-axis preferred orientation of ZnO films deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering

The c-axis preferred orientation of ZnO film is the most important factor for its successful application in piezoelectric devices. The effects of surface roughness of the substrate on the c-axis preferred orientation of ZnO thin films, deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, were investigated. During sputtering, the oxygen content in the argon environment used was varied from 0 to 70% at a total sputtering pressure of 10 mTorr. Very smooth Si, smooth evaporated Au/Si, smooth evaporated-Al/Si, and rough sputtered-Al/Si were used as substrates. Their r.m.s. roughnesses, as measured by atomic force microscopy, were 1.27, 17.1, 21.1 and 65-118 Å, respectively. The crystalline structure and the angular spread of the (0 0* 2) plane normal to the ZnO films were determined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray rocking curves, respectively. The crystallinity and the preferred c-axis orientation of the ZnO films were strongly dependent on the surface roughness of the substrates rather than on the oxygen content of the working environment or on the chemical nature of the substrate.     

Structural changes of PVC plastisols in progress of gelation and fusion as investigated with temperature-dependent viscoelasticity,morphology, and light scattering

The structural changes of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastisols during mixing of PVC with a plasticizer was investigated; as the temperature was increased, the system was found to transform from a suspension of solid particles in a liquid medium to a swollen gel and ultimately to a fused homogeneous matrix. The dynamic viscoelastic measurements were utilized to continuously monitor the changes of moduli under a controlled heating rate, employing a mechanical spectrometer. Characteristic changes in the viscoelastic behavior were associated with changes in particulate morphology as observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Both viscoelastic and morphological observations were shown to provide details of structural changes in conjunction with the behavior of the PVC–plasticizer interaction, enabling a qualitative discrimination of the gelation and fusion processes. An in situ small-angle light-scattering (SALS) method was performed to make a quantitative estimate for the swollen particles of PVC while they were in the progress of gelation and fusion. From the manner of increase in correlation distances, along with the changes in viscoelastic moduli and morphology, the swelling behavior of the particulate structures were examined on the quantitative basis and brief insight into the complex behavior of the PVC–plasticizer interaction began to be unfolded. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A precision on-line model for the prediction of roll force and roll power in hot-strip rolling

Investigated via a series of finite-element (FE) process simulations is the effect of diverse process variables on some selected nondimensional parameters characterizing the thermomechanical behavior of the strip in hot-strip rolling. Then, on the basis of these parameters an on-line model is derived for the precise prediction of roll force and roll power. The prediction accuracy of the proposed model is examined through comparison with predictions from a FE process model and also with measurements.     

Energy release rates of crack kinking by boundary condition sensitivity analysis

The energy release rate, which is the total derivative of the energy with respect to crack length, is recognized as corresponding to the shape sensitivity analysis with the crack length change represented by the tangential component of design velocity. In this paper the sensitivity formula recently developed for a changing boundary condition has been further extended to cover crack kinking under mixed mode loading. Due to difficulty in defining the velocity field at the corner, the energy release rate at the onset of crack kinking is obtained by extrapolating the energy release rates for finite length kinked cracks. A rectangular plate with a single edge slant crack under uniform tension is taken as a numerical example. The multi-region technique in the numerical implementation of the boundary integral equation is adopted to consider the asymmetry of the problem. Excellent accuracy is observed as compared with reference analytic solutions.     

Casein Hydrolysate Fractions Act as Emulsifiers in Process Cheese

ABSTRACT: Degrees of hydrolysis and emulsifying activity of casein hydrolysates were the highest at 4 h hydrolysis. The oil-off values of the mixture of hydrolysate (H) or supernatant (S) and traditional emulsifier (T) were not significantly different from the control made with traditional emulsifier, except for S + T = 3:1. Two other samples made with hydrolysate or supernatant only (H or S) showed higher oil-off value than the others (p < 0.05). In flavor property, no difference was found between samples made with traditional emulsifier and those made with the mixture of hydrolysate or supernatant at the ratio of 3 to 1. Therefore, these results indicated that a mixture of the hydrolysate or supernatant and traditional emulsifier might replace a traditional emulsifier in process cheese manufacturing.     

Parametric Instability Boundaries for Spatial Subharmonics in Photorefractive Moving Gratings: Theory and Experiments

We have derived a nonlinear spatiotemporal differential equation for spacecharge fields from Kukhtarev's material equations in a moving coordinate system and obtained the spatial subharmonic instability boundaries by using linear stability analysis. It is also found that there is an analogy between the temporal subharmonic and the spatial subharmonc instabilities in the sense that the governing differential equations describing the instability boundaries are formally identical. The experiments for generating spatial subharmonic waves are performed in a photorefractive Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystal by using conventional moving grating technique. The threshold detunings are experimentally determined and the results are compared with the theory.     

A new synthesis procedure for titanium-containing zeolites under strong alkaline conditions and the catalytic activity for partial oxidation and photocatalytic decomposition

A new synthesis procedure for titanium-containing aluminosilicate zeolites has been obtained using a clear colloidal dispersion (sol) which was prepared with titanium isopropoxide, water, hydrochloric acid and colloidal silica, Ludox. When NaY, KL, offretite, mordenite and ZSM-5 zeolites were crystallized from the sol following conventional hydrothermal crystallization procedures, all the aluminosilicate zeolites showed the same X-ray absorption fine structure at the Ti K edge indicating framework Ti. The zeolites showed remarkable catalytic activity for the partial oxidation of cyclohexene using H₂O₂ as an oxidant and the photocatalytic decomposition of trichloroethene using water.     

An analytical study on the thermal characteristics of flat-plate and evacuated solar collectors

In this study, we highlighted differences in the standards used in performance tests of solar collectors. We analyzed testing results for different types of solar collectors to determine the effects of the collector area and mass flow rate, which were not necessarily consistent across all tests. Our analysis showed that the factor,F′ (τα), including collector efficiency factor (F′), could be correlated with the flow rate or area regardless of the collector type. Moreover, the collector loss coefficient (F′U _L ) per flow rate or area for an evacuated collector was less that of a flat-plate collector; this was also correlated with the flow rate or area, regardless of the type of evacuated collector. As a result of this analysis, we propose a modified heat loss coefficient that includes the effects of all parameters that can be considered in a performance test and show that this coefficient could better describe the thermal characteristics of various types of solar collectors.     

Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Skin Regeneration and Rejuvenation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells derived from adult stem cells. Primary MSCs can be obtained from diverse sources, including bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord blood. Recently, MSCs have been recognized as therapeutic agents for skin regeneration and rejuvenation. The skin can be damaged by wounds, caused by cutting or breaking of the tissue, and burns. Moreover, skin aging is a process that occurs naturally but can be worsened by environmental pollution, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and undernourishment. MSCs have healing capacities that can be applied in damaged and aged skin. In skin regeneration, MSCs increase cell proliferation and neovascularization, and decrease inflammation in skin injury lesions. In skin rejuvenation, MSCs lead to production of collagen and elastic fibers, inhibition of metalloproteinase activation, and promote protection from ultraviolet radiation-induced senescence. In this review, we focus on how MSCs and MSC-derived molecules improve diseased and aged skin. Additionally, we emphasize that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs are potentially advanced MSCs, which are suitable for cell therapy.