Failure behavior of adhesively bonded joints with a rubber modified epoxy adhesive under tensile-shear combined cyclic loading

Rubber-modified epoxy adhesives are used widely as structural adhesive owing to their properties of high fracture toughness. In many cases, these adhesively bonded joints are exposed to cyclic loading. Generally, the rubber modification decreases the static and fatigue strength of bulk adhesive without flaw. Hence, it is necessary to investigate the effect of rubber-modification on the fatigue strength of adhesively bonded joints, where industrial adhesively bonded joints usually have combined stress condition of normal and shear stresses in the adhesive layer. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the effect of rubber-modification on the fatigue strength under combined cyclic stress conditions. Adhesively bonded butt and scarf joints provide considerably uniform normal and shear stresses in the adhesive layer except in the vicinity of the free end, where normal to shear stress ratio of these joints can cover the stress combination ratio in the adhesive layers of most adhesively bonded joints in industrial applications.

In this study, to investigate the effect of rubber modification on fatigue strength with various combined stress conditions in the adhesive layers, fatigue tests were conducted for adhesively bonded butt and scarf joints bonded with rubber modified and unmodified epoxy adhesives, wherein damage evolution in the adhesive layer was evaluated by monitoring strain the adhesive layer and the stress triaxiality parameter was used for evaluating combined stress conditions in the adhesive layer. The main experimental results are as follows: S–N characteristics of these joints showed that the maximum principal stress at the endurance limit indicated nearly constant values independent of combined stress conditions, furthermore the maximum principal stress at the endurance limit for the unmodified adhesive were nearly equal to that for the rubber modified adhesive. From the damage evolution behavior, it was observed that the initiation of the damage evolution shifted to early stage of the fatigue life with decreasing stress triaxiality in the adhesive layer, and the rubber modification accelerated the damage evolution under low stress triaxiality conditions in the adhesive layer.     

High channel mobility in inversion layers of 4H-SiC MOSFETs byutilizing (112¯0) face

A dramatic improvement of inversion channel mobility in 4H-SiC MOSFETs was successfully achieved by utilizing the (112¯0) face: 17 times higher (95.9 cm²/Vs) than that on the conventional (0001) Si-face (5.59 cm²/Vs). A low threshold voltage of MOSFETs on the (112¯0) face indicates that the (112¯0) MOS interface has fewer negative charges than the (0001) MOS interface. Small anisotropy of channel mobility in 4H-SiC MOSFETs (μ_(11¯00)/μ₍₀₀₀₁₎=0.85) reflects the small anisotropy in bulk electron mobility     

A novel islanding protection system for photovoltaic inverters

It is very difficult to detect an islanding condition of a power distribution line with conventional voltage or frequency relays while the output power and the load power of utility interactive PV inverter units are in nearly balanced state in both active power and reactive power. This is because a sufficiently large voltage or frequency change cannot be expected at such a balanced state. Many studies have been reported so far to complement dead bands in combination of active and passive methods to prevent the islanding, but none of them has been successful. This paper presents the principle of a new active method called slip mode frequency shift (SMS). With this method the reactive power between the inverter and the load is made unbalanced intentionally to cause the frequency to shift as if it slips down a slide. The performance when the dead bands are eliminated effectively in the range of practical use has been examined through simulation and experiments.     

Purification, cDNA cloning and expression of human NG,NG-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase

cDNA encoding N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase from rat kidney had been cloned [Kimoto, M., Sasakawa, T., Tsuji, H., Miyatake, S., Oka, T., Nio, N. & Ogawa, T. (1997) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1337, 6-10]. The enzyme hydrolyzes N(G),N(G)-dimethyl-L-arginine and N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine, which are known as endogenous inhibitors for the nitric oxide-generating system. In the present study, human N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase has been purified to homogeneity from liver and characterized. The cDNA clone encoding human N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase was isolated from a human kidney lambda gt10 library using a probe prepared from a plasmid containing the entire coding region of rat N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase. Its open reading frame encoded a protein of 285 amino acids with a molecular mass of 31,121 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibits 93% identity with that of rat. The cDNA was expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein exhibited enzyme activity which is the same as that of natural enzyme.     

Avalanche phenomena in 4H-SiC p-n diodes fabricated by aluminum orboron implantation

Characteristics of p-n junction fabricated by aluminum-ion (Al⁺) or boron-ion (B⁺) implantation and high-dose Al⁺-implantation into 4H-SiC (0001) have been investigated. By the combination of high-dose (4×10¹⁵ cm^-2) Al⁺ implantation at 500°C and subsequent annealing at 1700°C, a minimum sheet resistance of 3.6 kΩ/□ (p-type) has been obtained. Three types of diodes with planar structure were fabricated by employing Al+ or B+ implantation. B ⁺-implanted diodes have shown higher breakdown voltages than Al⁺-implanted diodes. A SiC p-n diode fabricated by deep B+ implantation has exhibited a high breakdown voltage of 2900 V with a low on-resistance of 8.0 mΩcm² at room temperature. The diodes fabricated in this study showed positive temperature coefficients of breakdown voltage, meaning avalanche breakdown. The avalanche breakdown is discussed with observation of luminescence     

Modification of results of drug susceptibility tests by coexistence of Mycobacterium avium complex with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a sputum sample: case report and experimental considerations

We report on a patient whose sputum contained both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). The MAC failed to be detected by the PCR-based AMPLICOR test. The unrecognized coexistence of MAC in the sample modified the results of drug susceptibility tests. Experiments revealed that the presence of both M. tuberculosis and MAC was not detected by the AMPLICOR test under certain conditions.     

Aluminum and boron ion implantations into 6H-SiC epilayers

Aluminum and boron ion implantations into n-type 6H-SiC epilayers have been systematically investigated. Redistribution of implanted atoms during high-temperature annealing at 1500°C is negligibly small. The critical implant dose for amorphization is estimated to be 1 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻² for Al⁺ implantation and 5 × 10¹⁵ cm^-2 for B⁺ implantation. By Al⁺ implantation followed with 1500°C-annealing, p-type layers with a sheet resistance of 22 kΩ/^— can be obtained. B⁺ implantation results in the formation of highly resistive layers, which may be attributed to the deep B acceptor level.     

RP105 is associated with MD-1 and transmits an activation signal in human B cells

RP105 was originally discovered as a mouse B-cell surface molecule that transmits an activation signal. The signal leads to resistance against irradiation-induced apoptosis and massive B-cell proliferation. Recently, we found that mouse RP105 is associated with another molecule, MD-1. We have isolated here the human MD-1 cDNA. We show that human MD-1 is also associated with human RP105 and has an important role in cell surface expression of RP105. We also describe a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) that recognizes human RP105. Expression of RP105 is restricted to CD19(+) B cells. Histological studies showed that RP105 is expressed mainly on mature B cells in mantle zones. Germinal center cells are either dull or negative. RP105 is thus a novel human B-cell marker that is preferentially expressed on mature B cells. Moreover, the anti-RP105 MoAb activates B cells, leading to increases in cell size, expression of a costimulatory molecule CD80, and DNA synthesis. The B-cell activation pathway using RP105 is conserved in humans.     

Fast epitaxial growth of high-purity 4H-SiC( $$000\bar 1$$ ) in a vertical hot-wall chemical vapor deposition) in a vertical hot-wall chemical vapor deposition

4H-SiC( ) epitaxial layers with a 14–28-μm thickness have been grown at high growth rates of 14–19 μm/h by chimney-type, vertical hot-wall, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 1,750°C. The 3C hillocks are formed on the epilayers grown under relatively low C/Si ratios. When grown at a relatively higher C/Si ratio of 0.6, the hillock density has been decreased to 1 cm⁻². Under the C-rich condition, the concentrations of residual impurity (nitrogen) and intrinsic defects (Z_1/2 and EH_6/7) have been reduced. When growth has been performed at low C/Si ratios of 0.4 and 0.5, all the micropipes in the substrates (more than 100 micropipes for each condition) have been closed during CVD growth.