Image-based sizing of surface-breaking cracks by SH-wave array ultrasonic testing

This paper presents calibration-free crack sizing techniques based on ultrasonic imaging. The techniques are intended for 2D (line) surface-breaking cracks with the size of the incident wavelength or greater. The probing wave mode is the anti-plane shear wave (SH-wave). Two methods are employed for the ultrasonic imaging. One is a synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) and the other is a computed time-reversal focusing technique (TRFT). In this paper, those methods are modified so that crack tips are located directly from measured A-scope waveforms without any calibration experiments. The results are shown as a peak in the ultrasonic image created by the respective methods. Reasonable accuracies of the proposed techniques are demonstrated first for the sizing of slits with known depths. The techniques are applied thereafter to the sizing of fatigue cracks. Since fatigue cracks may not be open without an external load, ultrasonic measurements are taken with and without external loads. The results of the imaging show that the depths of open cracks can be estimated accurately. It is also shown that crack opening (closing) behavior can be deduced by observing appearance (disappearance) of the peak in the images indicating the crack tip.     

Electronic structures of Pt-Co and Pt-Ru alloys for CO-tolerant anode catalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel cells studied by EC-XPS

CO tolerance at pure Pt, Pt-Co, and Pt-Ru alloys was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with an electrochemical cell (EC-XPS) in order to discover a hint for designing higher performance anode catalysts. After the electrochemical stabilization and/or CO adsorption, these electrodes were immediately transferred to the XPS chamber without exposure to air to avoid contamination of the surfaces. It was revealed that alloying with Co or Ru modified the electronic structures of Pt atoms, resulting in a positive core level (CL) shift of Pt 4f(7/2) which could weaken the Pt-CO interaction. For the Pt-Co alloy electrode, the Pt 4f(7/2) CL shift remained after the electrochemical stabilization despite Co dissolution and formation of a Pt skin layer. Changes in surface core level shifts (DeltaSCLSs) induced by CO adsorption were evaluated and related to the CO adsorption energy. The values of DeltaSCLS at these alloys were smaller than that of pure Pt, indicating that Ru and Co are effective elements to weaken the bond strength of Pt-CO.     

Total synthesis of (-)-5,6,11-trideoxytetrodotoxin and its 4-epimer

[reaction: see text] The first total synthesis of 5,6,11-trideoxytetrodotoxin (1) and its 4-epimer were achieved. The synthesis is characterized by the stereoselective construction of the quaternary amino carbon center at C8a by an asymmetric transferring Strecker synthesis and the highly efficient conversion of cyanohydrin 4 to 1 via intramolecular cyclization reactions.     

A new taxoid from a callus culture of Taxus cuspidata as an MDR reversal agent

A new taxoid, 5alpha,13alpha-diacetoxy-10beta-cinnamoyloxy-4(20),11-taxadien-9alpha-ol (1) along with its 9,10-isomer, taxinine NN-11 (2) were isolated from the callus cultures of Taxus cuspidata. The structures were identified by the analyses of the spectral data and chemical method. Their in vitro cytotoxicity against 3 cell lines (HepG2, WI-38 and VA-13) and multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal activity toward 2780AD tumor cells were preliminarily evaluated, the low cytotoxicities and potent MDR reversal activities suggested that they might be good lead compounds of tumor MDR reversal agent.     

Adsorption of colloidal particles to curved interfaces

As a simple model for a Pickering emulsion droplet, we consider the adsorption of spherical particles to a spherical liquid-liquid interface in order to investigate the curvature effect on the particle adsorption. By taking into account both the surface and the volume energies due to the presence of a particle, we show that the equilibrium contact angle is determined by the classical Young's equation although the adsorption energy depends on the curvature. We also calculate the partitioning of the colloidal particles among the two liquids and the interface. The distribution of colloidal particles is expressed in terms of the interfacial curvature as well as the relative wettability of the particle.     

Investigation of electronic states of infinite-layer SrFeO2 epitaxial thin films by X-ray photoemission and absorption spectroscopies

We investigated the electronic states of a single-crystal SrFeO₂ epitaxial thin film in the valence-band and conduction-band regions using synchrotron-radiation X-ray photoemission and absorption spectroscopies. Fe 2p–3d resonant photoemission measurements revealed that the Fe 3d states have higher densities of states at binding energies of 3–5 eV and 5–8.5 eV in the valence-band region. The O K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum exhibited three peaks in the Fe 3d-derived conduction band hybridized with O 2p states; these can be assigned to Fe 3d_xy, 3d_xz + 3d_yz, and 3d_x²_–y². In addition, the indirect bandgap value of the SrFeO₂ film was determined to be 1.3 eV by transmission and absorption spectroscopies.     

A Practical Guide for the Determination of Binding Constants

When working in the field ofhost–guest chemistry, the binding constants have to bedetermined on many occasions. Here is a detaileddocument of how to determine the binding constantswhich covers both the basic principle and thepractical issue: a practical experimental guideline,a representative method for the determination ofstoichiometry and for the evaluation of a complexconcentration, precautions to be taken on setting upconcentration conditions of the titration experiment,practical data-treatment methods and estimation ofstatistical errors. This document is described indetail using the basic level of mathematics,statistics, and programs of spreadsheet software.Especially, the titration experiments by means ofUV-visible and NMR spectroscopy are carried out anddescribed.     

137Cs activity in surface water in the western North Pacific

Temporal and spatial variations of ¹³⁷Cs activity in surface waters in the western North Pacific are examined along the 165°E transect. ¹³⁷Cs in seawater of the western North Pacific has been introduced by global fallout originating from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, which caused major fallout in the early 1960's. At this time ¹³⁷Cs activities in the surface waters in mid latitudes of the North Pacific were 10–20 Bq·m^-3. South of 30°N, ¹³⁷Cs activity decreased gradually towards the south. The surface ¹³⁷Cs activity was about 5 Bq·m^-3 in the Equatorial region. In the 1970's, the difference in ¹³⁷Cs activities in surface water between mid latitudes and the Equatorial region became smaller. The ¹³⁷Cs activity in surface water at 40°N – Equatorial region was almost constant at the level of 1.7–3.7 Bq·m^-3 in the late 1990's. In the Equatorial region, the ¹³⁷Cs activity in surface water showed no temporal change except for radioactive decay over these four decades. The surface ¹³⁷Cs level was 1.4–1.8 Bq·m^-3 in the north subarctic region around 50°N in the late 1990's. The lower ¹³⁷Cs activity may have been caused by deeper convection in this sea area and dilution by fresh water flux.     

Time-resolved EPR, fluorescence, and transient absorption studies on phthalocyaninatosilicon covalently linked to one or two TEMPO radicals.

The photophysical properties of tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninatosilicon (SiPc) covalently linked to one or two 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radicals (R1, R2) have been studied by fluorescence, transient absorption, and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopies. It is found that the fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes of R1 and R2 decrease compared with those of (dihydroxy)SiPc ((dihydroxy)SiPc = 6.8 ns, R1 = 4.7 ns and 42 ps, and R2 = 4.7 ns and <30 ps). Transient absorption measurements indicate that the lifetime of the excited triplet SiPc is markedly dependent on the number of linking TEMPO radicals ((dihydroxy)SiPc = 500 micros, R1 = 7.6 micros, and R2 = 3.7 micros). These short lifetimes of R1 and R2 in the excited states are explained as a result of the interaction with TEMPO changing the ISC between the singlet and triplet states to spin-allowed transitions. Quantitative TREPR investigations have been carried out for the radical-quartet pair mechanism of R1 and the photoinduced population transfer of R2. It is determined that the rise and decay times of these electron spin polarizations denote the spin-lattice relaxation time of the ground state and the lifetime of the excited multiplet state, respectively. This study contributes not only to an elucidation of radical-chromophore interactions but also to a novel approach for controlling magnetic properties by photoexcitation.     

Recent studies of unstable nuclei far from stability with the on-line isotope separators of JAERI

Studies on the decay of unstable nuclei using the two on-line isotope separators of JAERI are reviewed for the past five years. With the previously established ion-source technique using mono-oxide ion formation in a thermal ion source, the new nuclides¹²⁵Pr and¹²⁷Pr have been identified in heavy-ion fusion residues. Further, with a newly developed gas-jet coupled thermal ion source, the new nuclides¹⁶⁶Tb,¹⁶⁵Gd,¹⁶¹Sm and²³⁶Am have been identified by bombarding²³⁸U and²³⁵U targets with a proton or⁶Li beam. Other studies, including off-line experiments, by decay spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy are described.