Ag nanorod arrays tailored for surface-enhanced Raman imaging in the near-infrared region

Using a dynamic oblique angle deposition technique, we demonstrate the direct formation of Ag nanorods with quasi-parallel major axes on a template layer of oxide having a strongly anisotropic surface morphology. The optical properties of the nanorods are tuned by varying the deposition conditions without any pre-?or post-treatment, and the resulting Ag nanorod arrays exhibit high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. In addition to high macroscopic uniformity over a large area, our nanorod arrays contain a high density of isolated nanorods. Using the optimum Ag nanorod arrays, the SERS imaging of the microdroplets of a rhodamine 6G solution is successfully demonstrated. The space resolution of the imaging is of the order of at least a few μm. These features are suitable for the SERS imaging of biomaterials.     

The effects of surfactant on the multiscale structure of bubbly flows

It is well known that a bubble in contaminated water rises much slower than one in purified water, and the rising velocity in a contaminated system can be less than half that in a purified system. This phenomenon is explained by the so-called Marangoni effect caused by surfactant adsorption on the bubble surface. In other words, while a bubble is rising, there exists a surface concentration distribution of surfactant along the bubble surface because the adsorbed surfactant is swept off from the front part and accumulates in the rear part by advection. Owing to this surfactant accumulation in the rear part, a variation of surface tension appears along the surface and this causes a tangential shear stress on the bubble surface. This shear stress results in the decrease in the rising velocity of the bubble in contaminated liquid. More interestingly, this Marangoni effect influences not only the bubble's rising velocity but also its lateral migration in the presence of mean shear. Together, these influences cause a drastic change of the whole bubbly flow structures. In this paper, we discuss some experimental results related to this drastic change in bubbly flow structure. We show that bubble clustering phenomena are observed in an upward bubbly channel flow under certain conditions of surfactant concentrations. This cluster disappears with an increase in the concentration. We explain this phenomenon by reference to the lift force acting on a bubble in aqueous surfactant solutions. It is shown that the shear-induced lift force acting on a contaminated bubble of 1mm size can be much smaller than that on a clean bubble.     

Smart Ferrofluid with Quick Gel Transformation in Tumors for MRI‐Guided Local Magnetic Thermochemotherapy

Improved techniques for local administration of anticancer drugs are needed to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy owing to leakage of anticancer drugs from tumors and to enhance therapeutic efficacy. This study presents the development of smart ferrofluid that transforms immediately into a gel in tumors and generates heat in response to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), simultaneously releasing the anticancer drug. The smart ferrofluid, which is synthesized using less toxic magnetic materials (Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles), natural polysaccharides (alginate), and amino acids (cysteine), can also act as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The ferrofluid also incorporates an anticancer drug (i.e., doxorubicin, DOX) via hydrogen bonds. AMF causes heating of gels prepared from the DOX‐containing ferrofluid, resulting in gel shrinkage and DOX release. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the ferrofluid transforms into a gel in the tumor, with the gel remaining in the tumor. Furthermore, magnetic thermochemotherapy using this ferrofluid inhibited tumor growth, while magnetic hyperthermia alone had only a marginal effect. Thus, the combination of magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy may be important for suppressing tumor growth. In summary, the ferrofluid presented here has the potential to facilitate MRI‐guided magnetic thermochemotherapy through a combination of endoscopic technologies in the future.     

Culture characteristics of carotenoid-producing filamentous fungus T-1, and carotenoid production

The culture characteristics, carotenoid production, and associated biosynthetic pathway of strain T-1 were examined. As a result of examining the culture temperature and light irradiation, an increase of neurosporaxanthin and neurosporaxanthin beta-D-glucopyranoside was observed at a low temperature and 0 lx. It was suggested that highly polar carotenoids, such as neurosporaxanthin, and carotenoid glycosides were involved in the stabilization of membrane during nutrition storage other than the defense function of fungus bodies. Strain T-1 produced lycopene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene, torulene, neurosporaxanthin, and neurosporaxanthin beta-D-glucopyranoside, as assessed by HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR analysis. Carotenoid biosynthesis begins with neurosporene, passing to lycopene and gamma-carotene through cyclization, and produces beta-carotene. In addition, it is saturated, gamma-carotene is converted to torulene, and neurosporaxanthin is produced. Thus, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in strain T-1 was estimated.     

On-line measurement of orientation development in the high-speed melt spinning process

On-line measurement of birefringence was performed in the high-speed melt spinning process of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using an apparatus that incorporates a rotating polarizer for the measurement of the optical retardation of running filament. Particular attention was paid to the detailed measurements in the vicinity of neck-like deformation. Through the measurement at the take-up velocity of 5 km/min, development of birefringence under the strain rate up to about 1 ms^?1 was investigated. To analyze the relation between applied stress and birefringence, tension and temperature profiles of the spin-line were calculated based on the experimentally obtained diameter profiles. Even though the strain rate is extremely high, a linear relationship between birefringence and a parameter calculated by dividing stress by temperature was confirmed to hold up to birefringence and stress/temperature values of about 0.017 and 10 kPa/K, respectively.     

Processing of Oriented K(Ta,Nb)O3 Films Using Chemical Solution Deposition

K(Ta,Nb)O₃ (KTN) thin films have been prepared by the chemical solution deposition method. KTN precursors consisted of a uniform mixture of K[Ta(OC₂H₅)₆] and K[Nb(OC₂H₅)₆] with interaction at the molecular level. Perovskite KTN thin films with the desired composition (Ta/Nb = 65/35, 50/50, and 35/65) were synthesized from the precursor solutions by the dip coating method. KTN thin films with (100) preferred orientation were successfully synthesized on MgO(100) and Pt(100)/MgO(100) substrates. X-ray pole figure measurements showed that grains of KTN films had a prominent three-dimensional regularity on MgO(100) and Pt(100)/MgO(100) surfaces. The Curie temperatures of KTN films decreased with increasing Ta/Nb ratio. Typical P-E hysteresis loops were observed for KTN thin films of three compositions on Pt(100)/MgO(100) substrates. The values of remanent polarization ( P _r) of KTN films increased as the Ta/Nb ratio changed from 65/35 to 35/65.     

Influences of gas density depletion on high‐pressure,pulsed‐glow discharge

High‐pressure, pulsed glow discharge has been studied for the excitation discharge in TEA gas lasers. Various instabilities occur in the subsequent discharge, which induce the arc and collapse for the highly repetitive operation. In this paper, the influences of the gas density depletion on the high‐pressure, pulsed glow discharge have been investigated, eliminating the other instabilities such as shock waves, residual ions, discharge products, and electrode heating. The gas density depletion was produced by utilizing a subsonic flow between the curved electrodes. The comparison has been made on the discharge occurring in the presence of the gas density depletion with that by the double‐pulse experiment in a stable gas. The big gas density nonuniformity tends to cause the arc without the shocks, ions, discharge products, and electrode heating. The transition from glow to arc discharge discontinuously occurs with respect to the gas density depletion. On the other hand, the second discharge in the double‐pulse experiment becomes an arc in much smaller gas density nonuniformity, and the transition from glow to arc occurs gradually. The arc discharge might be driven by some factors other than the gas density depletion. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(4): 9–16, 2000     

A three‐phase hybrid stepping motor drive system combined with position‐sensorless closed‐loop control

This paper proposes a drive system for a three‐phase hybrid stepping motor, combining sensorless closed‐loop control with conventional open‐loop control. It is characterized by sophisticated control providing both prevention of pulling out from synchronism and suppression of natural rotor oscillation, without any position sensor attached to the motor shaft. A switching technique in chopper control which can enlarge the speed range controllable in the sensorless closed‐loop control is described. Starting and stopping sequences are developed to reduce mechanical natural oscillation produced in the transient state. Finally, the proposed drive system is compared experimentally with a conventional constant‐current open‐loop drive system. It is shown that the proposed drive system can perform the switchover from starting to sensorless closed‐loop operation within 20 ms, and can reduce the natural oscillation caused just after positioning. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(3): 80–90, 2000     

Control and performance of a zero‐current‐switched,three‐phase PWM inverter equipped with resonant circuits on the ac side

This paper presents a zero‐current‐switched voltage‐fed inverter equipped with resonant circuits on the ac side. The current flowing through a switching device, that is, IGBT, is the sum of the load current and the resonant current. When the amplitude of the resonant current is larger than that of the load current, the current in the switching device becomes zero at an instant in each resonant cycle. This allows the switching device to be turned on or off at the zero current. The zero‐current switching makes a significant contribution to reduction of switching losses and electromagnetic noises. In this paper, the principle of zero‐current‐switching operation, along with a novel control scheme, is described from a theoretical and practical point of view. Experimental results obtained from a laboratory system of 5 kVA verify the practicability. Moreover, the switching and conduction losses of the proposed soft‐switched inverter are compared with those of a conventional hard‐switched inverter. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(4): 85–95, 2000