Calcium–magnesium–alumino-silicate (CMAS) particulates enter the aero-engine in a sandy environment, melt and infiltrate into 7 wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), reducing their lifetime. This leads to chemical degradation in 7YSZ accompanied by tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation upon cooling. In this work, electron-beam physical vapor deposition coatings were infiltrated with a synthetic CMAS. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements show that CMAS infiltration at 1250 °C has about 43% higher monoclinic phase volume fraction (PVF) at the coating surface compared to 1225 °C and remains consistently higher throughout the coating depth. Additionally, the increase in annealing time from 1 to 10 h results in a 31% higher monoclinic phase at the surface. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of globular monoclinic phases corresponding spatially with the above findings. These results resolve the impact of time and temperature on CMAS infiltration kinetics which is important for mitigation.

The development of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from large animal species has become an important model for therapeutic cloning using ESCs derived by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). However, poor embryo quality and blastocyst formation have been major limitations for derivation of cloned ESCs (ntESCs). In this study, we have tried to overcome these problems by treating these cells with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and aggregating porcine embryos. First, cloned embryos were treated with Scriptaid to confirm the effect of HDACi on cloned embryo quality. The Scriptaid-treated blastocysts showed significantly higher total cell numbers (29.50 ± 2.10) than non-treated blastocysts (22.29 ± 1.50, P < 0.05). Next, cloned embryo quality and blastocyst formation were analyzed in aggregates. Three zona-free, reconstructed, four-cell-stage SCNT embryos were injected into the empty zona of hatched parthenogenetic (PA) blastocysts. Blastocyst formation and total cell number of cloned blastocysts increased significantly for all aggregates (76.4% and 83.18 ± 8.33) compared with non-aggregates (25.5% and 27.11 ± 1.67, P < 0.05). Finally, aggregated blastocysts were cultured on a feeder layer to examine the efficiency of porcine ES-like cell derivation. Aggregated blastocysts showed a higher primary colony formation rate than non-aggregated cloned blastocysts (17.6 ± 12.3% vs. 2.2 ± 1.35%, respectively, P < 0.05). In addition, derived ES-like cells showed typical characters of ESCs. In conclusion, the aggregation of porcine SCNT embryos at the four-cell stage could be a useful technique for improving the development rate and quality of porcine-cloned blastocysts and the derivation efficiency of porcine ntESCs.

A quantitative analysis of In concentration in InGaN/GaN multiquantum wells in light-emitting diodes was carried out using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and high-angle annual dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM). The In composition in InGaN was evaluated by the precise measurement of c-lattice parameters in the HRTEM micrographs, which increase with increasing In composition. The reliability of the results was confirmed by high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Quantitative In compositions can, therefore, be determined using HRTEM. We tried to determine the quantitative In compositions in InGaN by analyzing the intensity profiles of the HAADF-STEM images. However, several problems were encountered, such as differences in the thickness of the region observed, carbon contamination, and ion beam damage during specimen preparation. Therefore, relative differences in composition were observed in the HAADF-STEM images.

High performance materials that can withstand radiation, heat, multiaxial stresses, and corrosive environment are necessary for the deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems. Nondestructive in situ experimental techniques utilizing high energy x-rays from synchrotron sources can be an attractive set of tools for engineers and scientists to investigate the structure–processing–property relationship systematically at smaller length scales and help build better material models. In this study, two unique and interconnected experimental techniques, namely, simultaneous small-angle/wide-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) and far-field high-energy diffraction microscopy (FF-HEDM) are presented. The changes in material state as Fe-based alloys are heated to high temperatures or subject to irradiation are examined using these techniques.

Liposomal drug delivery products have been already commercialized in tumor therapeutics, which can realize passive tumor targeting via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect resulting from the leaky tumor vasculature. To control drug release out of the liposomes, thermo-sensitive liposomes (TSLs) have been developed so that an abrupt exposure of highly concentrated drugs to tumor tissues was enabled by locally treated thermal stimuli. As interests upon TSL have increased along with ongoing clinical trials, some types of TSLs with different physical properties in pharmacokinetics and the mechanism of drug release have been formulated. However, there are few protocols established with a desirable heat source to maximize the efficacy of different TSLs as treating tumors. In this study, we examined different protocols for the most effective application of different TSLs to tumor therapy. First, we examined if enhancing the accumulation of TSLs within tumor tissues prior to bursting drugs out of TSLs could lead to increasing anti-tumor efficacy. Second, we compared the efficiency of two different heat sources on the use of TSL, a warm water bath (42°C) and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Our study suggests that the specified protocol be setup for TSLs with different physical properties to optimally function in tumor therapies.

Licorice extracts are known to exhibit anti-carcinogenic activities. However, chronic licorice consumption can lead to serious side effects due to the presence of considerable quantities of glycyrrhizin, which causes severe hypokalaemia and hypertension. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a hexane–ethanol extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (HEGU), which lacks glycyrrhizin, on the metastatic characteristics of DU145 prostate cancer cells. HEGU inhibited basal and epidermal growth factor-induced cell migration, invasion and adhesion in a dose-dependent fashion. HEGU significantly suppressed the secretion and activation of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. The secretion of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 was reduced, but that of TIMP-2 was increased in HEGU-treated cells. HEGU reduced the protein levels of integrin-α2, the intercellular adhesion molecule, and the vascular cell adhesion molecule. An active fraction of HEGU was separated via column chromatography, and the structure of the active component, licoricidin, was identified via 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The treatment of DU145 cells with licoricidin induced a reduction in cell migration and the secretion of MMP-9, TIMP-1, urokinase-type plasminogen activator and vascular endothelial growth factor, as well as in the expression of adhesion molecules. These results indicate that HEGU, which contains licoricidin, is a potent anti-metastatic agent, which can markedly inhibit the metastatic and invasive capacity of malignant prostate cancer cells. The observed reductions in the activation of proteases and the levels of adhesion molecules may constitute a component of the mechanisms by which HEGU inhibits the migration and adhesion of prostate cancer cells.

A systematic study on the effect of sputtering deposition parameters on material properties of Al doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) films prepared by an in-line rf magnetron sputtering and on surface morphology of the films after wet etching process was carried out. For application to silicon thin film solar cells as a front electrode, the as-deposited films were surface-textured by a dilute HCl solution to improve the light scattering properties such as haze and angle resolved distribution of scattered light on the film surfaces. The microstructure of as-deposited films is affected significantly by the working pressure and film compactness decreases with increasing working pressure from 1.5 mTorr to 10 mTorr. High quality ZnO:Al films with electrical resistivity of 4.25 × 10-4 Ω cm and optical transmittance of 80% in a visible range are obtained at low working pressure of 1.5 mTorr and substrate temperature of 100℃. Crater-like surface morphologies are observed on the textured ZnO:Al films after wet etching. The size and shape of craters are closely dependent on the microstructure and film compactness of as-deposited films. Haze values of the textured ZnO:Al films are improved in a whole wavelength of 300 – 1100 nm compared to commercial SnO2:F films (Asahi U type) and incident light on the textured films is scattered effectively with 30° angle.

We have investigated temperature dependence on the hysteresis phenomenon of SLS poly-Si TFT on a glass substrate, extremely at low temperature (213K). The p-type sequential lataral solidification (SLS) polycrystalline Silicon (poly-Si) TFT was fabricated on glass substrate. As the temperature was reduced, it was observed that hysteresis phenomenon was increased, whereas the hysteresis was suppressed at high temperature. This could be explained by a difference of initially electron and hole trapped charges into gate insulator is much larger in low temperature than in high temperature. And we have verified that drain current was changed with a different previous gate starting voltage even at same bias condition by experimental results due to the hysteresis phenomenon of SLS poly-Si TFT. Hysteresis of SLS poly-Si TFT should be improved for a pixel element of high quality AMOLED display.

Spin-up flows of a compressible gas in a finite, closed cylinder from an initial state of rest are studied, The flow is characterized by small reference Ekman numbers, and the peripheral Mach number is O(1). Comprehensive numerical solutions have been obtained for the full, time-dependent compressible Navier-Stokes equations. The details of the flow, temperature, and density evolution are described. In the early phase of spin-up, owing to the thermoacoustic disturbances caused by the compressible Rayleigh effect, the flows are oscillatory, and this oscillatory behaviour is pronounced at higher Mach numbers. The principal dynamical role of the Ekman layer is dominant over moderate times of orders of the homogeneous spin-up timescales. Owing to the density stratification in the radial direction, the Ekman layer is thicker in the central region of the interior. The interior azimuthal flows are mainly uniform in the axial direction. As the Mach number increases, the rate of spin-up in the interior becomes slower, and the propagating shear front is more diffusive. Explicit comparisons with the results for an infinite cylinder are made to ascertain the contributions of the endwall disks. In contrast to the usual incompressible spin-up from rest, the viscous effects are relatively more important for the case of a compressible fluid.

Metal oxide nanoparticles within the protein ferritin can act as an energy storage source in nano-bio batteries containing ferrous ferritin and a reconstituted ferritin cage containing different inorganic elements, such as Co, Mn, Ni, and Pt. These components were introduced as two ferritin half-cells with different redox potentials existing between the ferrous ferritin and the reconstituted ferritin. The reduction of ferritin was analyzed in a solution containing 3-[N-morpholino] propanesulfonic acid buffer and oxidized methyl viologen using cyclic voltammetry. The reduction and oxidation peaks of the methyl viologen occurred at potentials of −300 and −100 mV, respectively, and the reduction and the oxidation peaks of the released Fe occurred at potentials of −300 and −100 mV, respectively. The reduction of ferritin was influenced by the pH of the ferritin solution.

The swelling behavior of chitosan hydrogels in ionic liquid–water binary systems was studied using hydrophilic room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) to elucidate the swelling properties of chitosan hydrogels. It was confirmed that chitosan hydrogels are much stiffer after immersing in a pure RTIL because the water existing inside the chitosan polymer network is extracted into the RTIL. The pH of the binary system changes when the RTIL is in contact with water. The chitosan hydrogels were fully dissociated at a 90% water content in the BMI-BF4-water binary system. The equilibrium binary system content behavior of the chitosan hydrogels depended upon the amount of free water present. The water behavior in a pure RTIL was examined using differential scanning calorimetry.

Composite fibers composed of chitosan and single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been fabricated using a wet spinning method. The dispersion was improved by the sonic agitation of the CNTs in a chitosan solution followed by centrifugation to remove tube aggregates and any residual catalyst. The mechanical behavior was investigated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The mechanical tests showed a dramatic increase in Young's modulus for the chitosan/CNT composite fibers fabricated using the improved dispersion method. The strain on the microfibers was determined from tensile load measurements during pH switching in acidic or basic electrolyte solutions. The microfibers showed a general actuation behavior of expanding at pH = 2 and contracting at pH = 7 under low tensile loads. However, a reverse of this actuation behavior was exhibited under high tensile loads. This anomalous pH actuation is both new and surprising. It was explained from an analysis of the differences in sample stiffness and Poisson’s ratio under tensile load in electrolyte solutions with different pH values.

Composite nanofibers including ferritin nanoparticles or multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated to enhance the physical properties of the nanofibers, such as the elastic modulus and electrical conductivity. The ferritin was homogeneously incorporated in the polymeric nanofibers, but excess carbon nanotubes (CNTs) added to the polymer solution resulted in the fabrication of composite nanofibers with rough surfaces. PVA/ferritin/CNT composite nanofibers were fabricated that had smooth surfaces, and had a good dispersion of ferritin and CNTs. These composite nanofibers are applicable to artificial muscles requiring enhanced physical properties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) images in determining the anatomy and topographic relationship between various important structures. Using 40 ears from 20 patients with various otological diseases, a 3D reconstruction based on the image data from spiral high-resolution CT was performed by segmentation, volume-rendering and surface-rendering algorithms on a personal computer. The 3D display of the middle and inner ear structures was demonstrated in detail. Computer-assisted measurements, many of which could not be easily measured in vivo, of the reconstructed structures provided accurate anatomic details that improved the surgeon’s understanding of spatial relationships. A 3D reconstruction of temporal bone CT might be useful for education and increasing understanding of the anatomical structures of the temporal bone. However, it will be necessary to confirm the correlation between the 3D reconstructed images and histological sections through a validation study.

An analysis is made of steady-state flow of a compressible fluid in an infinite rapidly rotating pipe. Flow is induced by imposing a small azimuthally varying thermal forcing at the pipe wall. The Ekman number is small. Analyses are conducted to reveal both the axisymmetric-type and non-axisymmetric-type solutions. The axisymmetric solution is based on the azimuthally averaged wall boundary condition. The non-axisymmetric solution stems from the azimuthally fluctuating part of the wall boundary condition. It is shown that the two-dimensional (uniform in the axial direction) non-axisymmetric solution exists for $\sigma (\gamma - 1)M^2 \,{\gg}\, O(E^{1 / 3})$. However, an axially dependent solution is found if $\sigma (\gamma - 1)M^2 \,{\lesssim}\,O(E^{1 / 3})$, in which $E$ denotes the Ekman number, $M$ the Mach number, $\gamma $ the specific heat ratio and $\sigma $ the Prandtl number. The axisymmetric solution prevails over the whole flow region; the two-dimensional non-axisymmetric solution is confined to the near-wall thermal layer of thickness $O(E^{1 / 3})$. As a canonical example, a detailed description is given for the case of a highly conducting wall with differential heating.

A theoretical analysis is made of the transient Ekman layer of a rapidly rotating compressible fluid. In the initial state, both the fluid and the disk are in equilibrium in isothermal rigid-body rotation. Flow is initiated by imposing a mechanical/thermal disturbance on the rotating disk. By making detailed examinations of the energy balance in the Ekman layer, the energy transfer mechanisms are delineated. Two distinctive transient energy transfer mechanisms are identified: (i) the one-dimensional energy diffusion process in the axial direction, and (ii) the conventional Ekman layer flow which is similar to that of an incompressible fluid. The usefulness of a particular grouping of flow variables, which is termed the energy flux content, is emphasized. The major distinctions between compressible and incompressible fluids are ascertained. This analytical endeavour clarifies the features unique to a compressible rotating flow. A unified view is constructed to encompass the previously published theoretical findings which had been presented in a piecemeal fashion.