Sophia University

About: Sophia University is a education organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Nonlinear system & Catalysis. The organization has 4986 authors who have published 7657 publications receiving 106567 citations. The organization is also known as: Jōchi Daigaku.

Introduction to Nanoparticles

Abstract: Nanotechnology is the science that deals with matter at the scale of 1 billionth of a meter (i.e., 10 − 9 m = 1 nm), and is also the study of manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular scale. A nanoparticle is the most fundamental component in the fabrication of a nanostructure, and is far smaller than the world of everyday objects that are described by Newton ’ s laws of motion, but bigger than an atom or a simple molecule that are governed by quantum mechanics. The United States instituted the National Nanotechnology Initiative ( NNI ) back in 2000, which was soon followed (2001) by a plethora of projects in nanotechnology in nearly most of the U.S. Departments and Agencies [1] . About 20 Research Centers were subsequently funded by the Nationa1 Science Foundation ( NSF ), an agency responsible solely to the President of the United States and whose mandate is to fund the best of fundamental science and technology projects. NSF was the lead U.S. agency to carry forward the NNI. The word “nanotechnology” soon caught the attention of various media (TV networks, the internet, etc.) and the imagination and fascination of the community at large. In general, the size of a nanoparticle spans the range between 1 and 100 nm. Metallic nanoparticles have different physical and chemical properties from bulk metals (e.g., lower melting points, higher specifi c surface areas, specifi c optical properties, mechanical strengths, and specifi c magnetizations), properties that might prove attractive in various industrial applications. However, how a nanoparticle is viewed and is defi ned depends very much on the specifi c application. In this regard, Table 1.1 summarizes the defi nition of nanoparticles and nanomaterials by various organizations. Of particular importance, the optical property is one of the fundamental attractions and a characteristic of a nanoparticle. For example, a 20-nm gold nanoparticle has a characteristic wine red color. A silver nanoparticle is yellowish gray. Platinum and palladium nanoparticles are black. Not surprisingly, the optical characteristics of nanoparticles have been used from time immemorial in sculptures and 1

Remarkable weakness against cleavage stress for YBCO-coated conductors and its effect on the YBCO coil performance

Abstract: Cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor at 77 K was investigated with a model experiment. The nominal cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor is extremely low, typically 0.5 MPa. This low nominal cleavage strength is due to stress concentration on a small part of the YBCO-coated conductor in cleavage fracture. Debonding by the cleavage stress occurs at the interface between the buffer layer and the Hastelloy substrate. The nominal cleavage strength for a slit edge of the conductor is 2.5-times lower than that for the original edge of the conductor; cracks and micro-peel existing over the slit edge reduce the cleavage strength for the slit edge. Cleavage stress and peel stress should be avoided in coil winding, as they easily delaminate the YBCO-coated conductor, resulting in substantial degradation of coil performance. These problems are especially important for epoxy impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils. It appears that effect of cleavage stress and peel stress are mostly negligible for paraffin impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils or dry wound YBCO-coated conductor coils.

Sensitivity and stability analysis for nonlinear programming

Abstract: We give a brief overview of important results in several areas of sensitivity and stability analysis for nonlinear programming, focusing initially on “qualitative” characterizations (e.g., continuity, differentiability and convexity) of the optimal value function. Subsequent results concern “quantitative” measures, in particular optimal value and solution point parameter derivative calculations, algorithmic approximations, and bounds. Our treatment is far from exhaustive and concentrates on results that hold for smooth well-structured problems.

Cloning of cDNA and estrogen-induced hepatic gene expression for choriogenin H, a precursor protein of the fish egg envelope (chorion)

Abstract: A cDNA for choriogenin H (Chg H; formerly high-molecular weight spawning female-specific substances, or H-SF), a precursor protein of the inner layer subunits of egg envelope (chorion) of the teleost fish, Oryzias latipes, was cloned and analyzed. The clone consisted of 1913 bp and contained an open reading frame encoding a signal peptide of 22 aa and Chg H protein of 569 aa. The Chg protein possessed three potential N-glycosylation sites and Pro-X-Y repeat sequences in the first two-fifths of the N terminus. There were amino acid sequence similarities between Chg H and a gene product expressed in the liver of female winter flounder during vitellogenesis. Moreover, the amino acid sequence of Chg H is similar to that of ZP2 rather than ZP3 of zona pellucida of some mammals. Northern blot analysis indicated that gene expression for Chg H occurred only in the livers of spawning female fish and 17β-estradiol-treated male fish, but not in the ovary of the spawning female fish. Gene expression for Chg H and Chg L (formerly low-molecular weight spawning female-specific substance, or L-SF) was induced and increased in parallel in the male fish liver after 17β-estradiol treatment.