Narrow Results

Contaminants on the boundary surfaces lead to electric potential inhomogeneities. The resulting poorly defined electric force leads to ambiguities in precision Casimir force measurements. We experimentally demonstrate that with UV light followed by Ar ion beam radiation the electrostatic effects from these patch potentials can be eliminated. The cleaning procedure discussed reduces the sphere-plate potential difference to near zero. In addition, the UV radiation results in vacuum chamber pressures being reduced by a factor of 10 from the removal of volatile molecular species. This leads to very stable and near zero sphere-plate potential differences. The reported combination UV and Ar ion in situ cleaning procedure will find wide application.

Plasma generated at atmospheric pressure has widespread applications in the field of plasma medicine. In this paper, spectroscopic investigations of homemade capacitively coupled, atmospheric pressure RF plasma pencil is reported. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique is employed to characterize the plasma. Variation in rotational/gas temperature $T_R$, $[O]$ atomic density, dissociation fraction $\frac{[O]}{[O_2]}$ and normalized intensities of ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_a$, ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_b$ and ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_c$ radiation is monitored as a function of discharge parameters like RF power and different gases concentration. $T_R$ of $\mathrm{\text{He}}-O_2/\mathrm{\text{Ar}}$ mixture is estimated from $(0,0)$ band head of R branch of first negative system of nitrogen $N_2^{+}(B^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}_u^{+}$, ${\nu }^{\prime }\to X^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}_g^{+}$, ${\nu }^{\prime \prime })$ using Boltzmann plot technique. Similarly, $(0,0)$ band head of second positive system (SPS) of nitrogen $N_2(C^3{\mathrm{\Pi }}_u$, ${\nu }^{\prime }\to B^3{\mathrm{\Pi }}_g$, ${\nu }^{\prime \prime })$ is also used to estimate $T_R$ by fitting synthetic spectra over the experimentally recorded spectrum. It is noted that $T_R$ increases with increase in RF power, but it decreases with increase in $O_2$ concentration in the mixture. $[O]$ atomic density and dissociation fraction $\frac{[O]}{[O_2]}$, estimated from $\mathrm{\text{Ar}}-I$ line at 750 nm and $O-I$ line at 844 nm using actinometry technique, show increasing trend with RF power and $O_2$ concentration in the mixture up to 0.7% $O_2$ in the mixture. The normalized $\mathrm{\text{UV}}$ radiation intensities; ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_a(320\text{–}400\mathrm{\text{nm}})$, ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_b(280\text{–}320\mathrm{\text{nm}})$ and ${\mathrm{\text{UV}}}_c(240\text{–}400\mathrm{\text{nm}})$ show the increasing trend with increase in RF power up to 0.3% $O_2$ concentration in the mixture.

Bamboo material is widely used in outdoor applications. However, they are easily degraded when exposed to sunlight, their smooth surface will gradually turn to rough, and small cracks will appear and finally develop to large cracks. The paper presents a first-time investigation on the microstructure changes in the tangential section of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) radiated by artificial UV light. The results showed that the cracks mainly appeared at intercellular spaces of fibers where lignin content was high, the parenchyma cell walls and neighbor pits where the cell wall was very thin and more vulnerable than the other parts. In addition, the part of raised area and pit cavity tended to absorb more UV light radiation and showed more and larger cracks than the otherwhere. Cracks at the intercellular spaces of fibers were larger and bigger than those on the parenchyma cell walls. The cracks on the pits of the parenchyma cell walls normally appeared at one pit and then extended to the several surrounding pits. Bordered pits cavity showed more and larger cracks than the pits on the thin wall cells. The simple pits on the thick wall cells and the fiber cells were unaffected by UV radiation.

JAPAN – Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed) announces partnership with Japan Federation of Medical Devices Associations (JFMDA).

UNITED STATES – Gene Mutation May Speed Up Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease.

UNITED STATES – Know the Facts About Skin Cancer.

UNITED STATES – Another Reason to Exercise: Burning Bone Fat – a Key to Better Bone Health.

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND – LCT Collaborates with Auckland University Centre for Brain Research to Extend Product Pipeline.

TAIWAN – Peptide Nasal Spray to Delay Onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

TAIWAN – TLC178 Designated by US FDA as Drug for Rare Pediatric Disease in the Treatment of Rhabdomyosarcoma.