We developed a Handheld Integrating Sphere Snow Grain Sizer (HISSGraS) for field use to measure the specific surface area (SSA) of snow. In addition to snow samples, HISSGraS can directly measure snow surfaces and snow pit walls. The basic measurement principle is the same as that of the IceCube SSA instrument. The retrieval algorithm for SSA from reflectance employs two conversion equations formulated using spherical and nonspherical grain shape models. We observed SSAs using HISSGraS, IceCube and the gas adsorption method in a snowfield in Hokkaido, Japan. Intercomparison of the results confirmed that with HISSGraS direct measurement, SSA profile observations can be completed in just ~1/10 the time required for measurement of snow samples. Our results also suggest that HISSGraS and IceCube have similar accuracy when the same snow samples are measured using the same grain shape model. However, SSAs of near-surface snow layers measured using the three techniques exhibited some biases, possibly due to rapid snow metamorphism or melting during measurement and some technical issues with optical techniques. When excluding SSA data for the surface layer, which metamorphosed remarkably during measurement, IceCube- and HISSGraS-derived SSAs correlated strongly with those obtained by gas adsorption and HISSGraS accuracy is 21–34%.

A non-equilibrium Cu-Zr-Ag alloy was designed for the development of an alternative electric connector to Cu-Be alloys. This work aims at producing a Cu-Zr-Ag sheet using a hot-powder-rolling (HPR) process. The sheets were produced by a sequential process of HPR, pre-annealing, and cold rolling, using Cu93.5Zr5.5Ag1 (at.%) alloy powder produced by an argon gas atomization method. The Cu93.5Zr5.5Ag1 alloy sheet has a tensile strength of 1188 MPa and a conductivity of 33.2% IACS, which are similar values to those of Cu-Be alloys. In this paper, we optimize the conditions of the HPR process and reveal the correlation between the microstructure and properties of the Cu-Zr-Ag sheet produced by the HPR process. In addition, we discuss the alloy’s applicability for use as a connecter material.

Infinite-layer-structure epitaxial thin films of SrFeO2 and LaNiO2 respectively were prepared by low-temperature reduction with CaH2 from brownmillerite SrFeO2.5 and perovskite LaNiO3 epitaxial thin films grown on single-crystal substrates. The reduction process, removing oxygen ions from the perovskite-structure framework and causing rearrangements of oxygen ions, topotactically transforms the initial compounds to the c-axis oriented infinite-layer-structure epitaxial thin films. Consequently, the oxidation state of transition-metal ions in the film changed in wide ranges.

Recently, the large number of investigations concerning acid-catalyzed photopolymer systems such as chemically amplified photoresists and UV-curing materials has been reported. On the other hand, analogous systems utilizing base-catalyzed reactions have received far less attention, because low quantum yields for photobase generation to lead to low photosensitivity of these systems. To improve this problem, we proposed introduction of the concept of base proliferation reactions into the photopolymer systems using base-catalyzed reactions. The concept involves the autocatalytic base-catalyzed decomposition of a compound, referred to as a base amplifier which releases a newborn amine, leading to its autocatalytic decomposition. In fact, the addition of the base amplifiers such as 9-fluorenylmethyl carbamate, phenylsulfonylethyl carbamate, and 3-nitropentane-2-yl carbamate to a photopolymer consisting of an epoxy polymer sensitized and a photobase generator (PBG) resulted in the marked improvement of photosensitivity.

However, these base amplifiers with low molecular weight are not suitable for photopatterning because of the volatility and the excessive diffusion of amines proliferated in polymer films. We report here novel base-amplifying silicone resins tethering phenylsulfonylethyl carbamoyl groups which proliferate primary amino groups or secondary amino groups in their side chains.

Base-catalyzed decomposition behavior of films of these resins containing PBG was evaluated by UV absorption measurements. A film consisting of the resin proliferating primary amino groups and 10 wt% of PBG decomposed immediately in a nonlinear manner by 365 nm irradiation and subsequent heat treatment at 120oC for 6 min. On the other hand, this film without UV irradiation was thermally stable for 18 min at 120oC. These results indicate that photoinduced base proliferation reaction of the resin proceeded. A film consisting of the resin generating secondary amino groups and PBG decomposed in a way similar to that of the resin proliferating primary amino groups. Furthermore, lithographic evaluation of the film comprising the resin to generate secondary amines and PBG obtained 7ÊS positive images with an exposure dose of 75 mJ/cm2 which shows higher sensitivity when compared to conventional base-catalyzed photopolymers.

A newly developed high-throughput exploration system “M-ist Combi” can control mixing ration of five-component compounds. Furthermore, the M-ist Combi system can also be obtained not only thin film but also powder and liquid libraries by controlling applied voltage and used flexibly in either a normal atmosphere or controlled atmosphere. By combining the M-ist Combi system with combinatorial XRD apparatus, we successfully completed the high-throughput powder preparation and phase identification of over 150 samples in one day.

A single glassy phase of V45Zr22Ni22Cu11 alloy powders was synthesized by milling the elemental alloying powders in an argon atmosphere using a low-energy ball-milling technique. During the early and intermediate stages of milling, the atoms of Zr, Ni, and Cu migrated and diffused into the V (base material) lattice to form a body-centered-cubic (bcc) solid-solution, which transformed into a glassy phase with the same composition upon annealing at 850 K for 300 s in an argon atmosphere differential scanning calorimeter (thermally-enhanced glass formation reaction). As the milling time increased, the powders were subjected to continuous defects and lattice imperfections that led to a gradual change in the free energy so that solid-solution phase was transformed (mechanically enhanced glass formation reaction) to another metastable phase (glassy). Toward the end of the milling processing time, the bcc solid-solution transformed completely into a single glassy phase with the same composition. The glass-transition temperature, the crystallization temperature, and the enthalpy change of crystallization of the fabricated glassy powders were 741 K, 884 K, and −2.18 kJ/mol, respectively. This fabricated glassy alloy showed a wide supercooled liquid region (143 K) of metallic glassy alloy. The glassy powders were compacted in an argon gas atmosphere at 864 K with a pressure of 780 MPa using a hot-pressing technique. The consolidated sample was fully dense (above 99.2°) and maintained its chemically homogeneous glassy structure. The Vickers microhardness of the consolidated glassy V45Zr22Ni22Cu11 alloy was measured and found to be in the range between 6.89 GPa to 7.02 GPa.

New process for the preparation of Fe-Pt nanowires has been developed through anodic oxidation and electro deposition technique. Aluminum thin film sputtered on ITO thin film on a glass surface was decomposed into alumina by anodic oxidation technique. The anodic alumina layer possessed nanometer size pore array standing on the glass surface. The barrier layer at the bottom of nanopores was removed by acid etching to attain DC field smooth electro deposition. Fe-Pt components were introduced into nanopores of anodic alumina by electro deposition. The magnetization of Fe-Pt nanowires was investigated. The magnetization perpendicular to the glass surface was very strong and the in-plane magnetization was very small, indicating that the magnetic Fe-Pt nanowires could be potentially applied to ultra high density magnetic recording. The density of the nanowires was estimated to be about 1T bits /inch2.

Combinatorial methods bring about plentiful data not only in size but also in dimension. To handle multi-dimensional data easily, a virtual container of combinatorially acquired data is developed which is called “virtual sample libraries” (VSL). VSL stores the data hierarchically in the order of (1) coordinates in the sample library, (2) names of the measurements performed, and (3) data obtained from each measurement. Thus, the loads for analysis and visualization of multi-dimensional data are reduced because the stored data can be accessed intuitively, that is, just by tracing the hierarchy structure. This framework is easily constructed by the aid of object-oriented script language which is good at describing complicated data structure. Visualization of combinatorially acquired 7-dimensional data is demonstrated.

In the second step of the two consecutive transesterifications of the self-splicing reaction of the group I intron, the conserved guanosine at the 3′ terminus of the intron (ωG) binds to the guanosine-binding site (GBS) in the intron. In the present study, we designed a 22-nt model RNA (GBS/ωG) including the GBS and ωG from the Tetrahymena group I intron, and determined the solution structure by NMR methods. In this structure, ωG is recognized by the formation of a base triple with the G264[bull ]C311 base pair, and this recognition is stabilized by the stacking interaction between ωG and C262. The bulged structure at A263 causes a large helical twist angle (40 ± 8°) between the G264[bull ]C311 and C262[bull ]G312 base pairs. We named this type of binding pocket with a bulge and a large twist, formed on the major groove, a “Bulge-and-Twist” (BT) pocket. With another twist angle between the C262[bull ]G312 and G413[bull ]C313 base pairs (45 ± 10°), the axis of GBS/ωG is kinked at the GBS region. This kinked axis superimposes well on that of the corresponding region in the structure model built on a 5.0 Å resolution electron density map (Golden et al., Science, 1998, 282:345–358). This compact structure of the GBS is also consistent with previous biochemical studies on group I introns. The BT pockets are also found in the arginine-binding site of the HIV-TAR RNA, and within the 16S rRNA and the 23S rRNA.

The new processes for the preparation of nanoglasses have been developed through anodic oxidation. The aluminum thin film sputtered on the ITO thin film on the glass surface was decomposed into alumina by anodic oxidation technique. The alumina layer possessed nanometer size pore array standing on the glass surface. The sizes of the pore was widened by acid etching from 10∼20nm to a few hundred nm. The glass substrate having the alumina nanostructures on the surface could transmit the UV and visible light at the wavelength range of 200 ∼ 800nm. The TiO2 sol was impregnated into the pores of alumina layer and the sample was heated at ∼ 400 °C for 2 hr, converted into TiO2 nanotubes of anatase phase. The acid etching could remove the alumina skeletons, leaving the TiO2 nanotube array on the glass surface. These glasses were transparent to the light in UV-visible region. The electro deposition technique was applied to the introduction of Ni metal into pores, giving Ni nanorod array on the glass surface. The glass samples possessing TiO2 nanotube array showed very good catalytic function on the decomposition of acetaldehyde gas under the irradiation of UV light. The effect of the dimensions of the Ni nanorods on the magnetization was investigated.

Various compositions of P2O5-TeO2-ZnO glasses were prepared by using a combinatorial glass preparation system including a batch-preparing apparatus and a multi-sample casting machine, and the compositional dependence of glass forming tendency and thermal properties were intensively investigated. The samples exhibited a variety of colors, such as transparent, yellow, wine red and brown depending on its composition. Analyses with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the reddish coloration is responsible for colloidal suspension of nanometer sized elemental Te particles.

The combinatorial glass formation tester has been developed to determine the glass forming regions as quickly as possible. The 24 glass batches of about 1g were put into each carbon crucible on a carbon holder and heated in an electric furnace filled with dry nitrogen gas. After about a half an hour heating, the crucibles were taken out from the furnace and moved into the cooling chamber purged with dry nitrogen gas. The holder and the crucibles were moved on to a cooling stage to be cooled down quickly with a water flowing jacket together with nitrogen gas blowing. The time interval after taking out of the crucibles till the placement on the cooling stage was shortened as much as possible, resulting to be 10sec. The temperature of the melt in the crucibles was measured with an optical pyrometer to estimate the cooling rate. The top view of the crucibles on the holder was taken with a CCD camera during cooling. The CCD figures were stored on a computer for the judgments of the transparency of the samples in the crucibles to compile a glass forming region. The glass formation tester can manage 24 glass melting tests every 1 hours. In other words, the tester can produce at least 192 glass samples (24 x 8=192) within a day working time. The speed was roughly 100 times larger than the case of manual operation.

Quantitative thermal stability test of glass materials against crystallization is accelerated through a vertical temperature-gradient furnace. In the furnace, zinc tellurite glass melt is sucked into a 75cm-long glass capillary tube (ID 1.5 × OD 8 mmø) and the tube is kept inside to be annealed under a temperature gradient of 300~800°C/50cm. The time to precipitate is determined to make a set of T-T-T (Time-Temperature-Transform) diagrams for different composition and thermal hysteresis. Crystallization is not observed for 65TeO2-35ZnO and 70TeO2-30ZnO (mol%) super-cooled glass melt after 4000s annealing but their stability decreased if the melts were once quenched to below their glass transition temperature before the annealing.

We show that the variation of the structural unit in tellurite glasses is due to the charge transfer from modifier atoms to TeO6 octahedra with use of first-principles molecular orbital calculations. Orbital overlap population analysis reveals that the transferred electrons to the Te- O antibonding orbital cause breaking Te-O bonds and lead to reducing the coordination number of the Te atom.

Molecular dynamic calculations have been made on glasses in the ZnCl2–KBr system in order to estimate the infrared (IR) absorption of these glasses. Oxygen-free glass was estimated to be transparent up to 25 μm. Glasses containing oxygen impurities were estimated to be transparent only up to 16 μm, with a weak absorption band around 10.4 μm. This agrees with experimental results of glasses in the ZnCl2–KBr–PbBr2 system.