ABSTRACT We developed a novel measurement method of dielectric constant of liquids in 10-10 nm space (extended-nano space). Using our streaming potential system [1], dielectric constant was measured by regarding an extended-nano channel as an electric circuit. We revealed that the dielectric constant of water in extended-nano space was dramatically decreased (approximately 1/4 in 580 nm channel...

The minimum size of a closed nano-space in which cells can survive was determined using 4-nl nanowells. One or two cells could divide in the nanowell. Our results suggest that the cell division activity in the nano-space is determined by the conflict between intercellular effects and consumption of substrates.

Generally, a fracture is considered as an uncontrollable thus useless phenomenon due to its highly random nature. The aim of this study is to investigate highly ordered cracks such as oscillatory cracks and to manipulate via elaborate control of mechanical properties of the cracking medium including thickness, geometry, and elastic mismatch. Specific thin film with micro-sized notches was fabri...

Unlike drugs and medical devices, for which long standing and continuously improving quality assurance/quality control infrastructures exist, many nano-based products lack well-defined standards that are useful to manufacturers and regulators. Inherent variabilities in nanoparticle sizes and shapes, their large surface-to-volume ratios, and their mesoscale interactions with subcellular structur...

Sensors that change color have the advantages of versatility, ease of use, high sensitivity, and low cost. The recent development of optically based chemical sensing platforms has increasingly employed substrates manufactured with advanced processing or fabrication techniques to provide precise control over shape and morphology of the sensor micro- and nano-structure. New sensors have resulted ...

The phase of graphene plasmon upon edge-reflection plays a crucial role on determining the spectral properties of graphene structures. In this article, by using the full-wave simulation, we demonstrate that the mid-infrared graphene plasmons are nearly totally reflected at the boundary together with a phase jump of approximately 0.27π, regardless of the environments surrounding it. Appling this...

We investigated the relationship between LiDAR and ladder fuels in the northern Sierra Nevada, California USA. Ladder fuels are often targeted in hazardous fuel reduction treatments due to their role in propagating fire from the forest floor to tree crowns. Despite their importance, ladder fuels are difficult to quantify. One common approach is to calculate canopy base height, but this has many...

Renewable biomass and biomass derived fuels could readily replace fossil fuels in many of the present energy utilization applications with concomitant environmental benefits. Gasification is a form of biomass energy conversion producing a fuel that could substitute for fossil fuels in high efficiency power generation and CHP applications. While fossil fuel resources are heavily concentrated in ...

As the serious effects of global climate change become apparent and access to fossil fuels becomes more limited, metabolic engineers and synthetic biologists are looking towards greener sources for transportation fuels. In recent years, microbial production of high-energy fuels by economically efficient bioprocesses has emerged as an attractive alternative to the traditional production of trans...

Quantification of the downed woody materials that comprise forest fuels has gained importance in Caribbean forest ecosystems due to the increasing incidence and severity of wildfires on island ecosystems. Because large-scale assessments of forest fuels have rarely been conducted for these ecosystems, forest fuels were assessed at 121 US Department of Agriculture forest service inventory plots o...