Learning experiences and identity development of Japanese nursing students through study abroad: a qualitative analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the experiences and perceptions of students at a nursing college in Japan who studied abroad in Asia and North America, thereby identifying the full range of benefits of study abroad programs for Japanese nursing students.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative analysis of the reflection papers and free-response questionnaire items completed by 50 Japanese undergraduate nursing students who participated in 9 study abroad programs in Asia and North America. Content analysis of the data proceeded from typological and deductive to data-driven and inductive, recursively and collaboratively.

Direction control of quasi-stokeslet induced by thermoplasmonic heating of a water vapor microbubble.

We investigate the control of flow direction around a water vapor bubble using the thermoplasmonic effect of a gold nanoisland film (GNF) under laser irradiation with multiple spots. By focusing a laser spot on the GNF immersed in degassed water, a water vapor bubble with a diameter of ~10 μm is generated. Simultaneously, a sub laser spot was focused next to the bubble to yield a temperature gradient in the direction parallel to the GNF surface.

Investigation of transition from thermal- to solutal-Marangoni flow in dilute alcohol/water mixtures using nano-plasmonic heaters.

We experimentally investigated Marangoni flows around a microbubble in diluted 1-butanol/water, 2-propanol/water, and ethanol/water mixtures using the thermoplasmonic effect of gold nanoisland film. A laser spot on the gold nanoisland film acted as a highly localized heat source that was utilized to generate stable air microbubbles with diameters of 32-48 μm in the fluid and to induce a steep temperature gradient on the bubble surface. The locally heated bubble has a flow along the bubble surface, with the flow direction showing a clear transition depending on the alcohol concentrations.

Quasi-stokeslet induced by thermoplasmonic Marangoni effect around a water vapor microbubble.

Rapid Marangoni flows around a water vapor microbubble (WVMB) is investigated using the thermoplasmonic effect of a gold nanoisland film (GNF). By focusing a laser onto the GNF, a stable WVMB with a diameter of ~10 μm is generated in degassed water, while an air bubble generated in non-degassed water is larger than 40 μm. Under continuous heating, the WVMB involves significantly rapid Marangoni flow.

Surface segregation in a binary mixture of ionic liquids: Comparison between high-resolution RBS measurements and moleculardynamics simulations.

Surface structure of equimolar mixture of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([CCIm][TfN]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([CCIm][BF]) is studied using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both HRBS and MD simulations show enrichment of [TfN] in the first molecular layer although the degree of enrichment observed by HRBS is more pronounced than that predicted by the MD simulation. In the subsurface region, MD simulation shows a small depletion of [TfN] while HRBS shows a small enrichment here.

Perfect Composition Depth Profiling of Ionic Liquid Surfaces Using High-resolution RBS/ERDA.

In order to reveal the surface structures of large molecular ionic liquids (ILs), the near-surface elemental depth distributions of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([CCIm][TfN], n = 2, 6, 10) were studied using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) in combination with high-resolution elastic recoil detection analysis (HR-ERDA). The elemental depth profiles of all constituent elements, including hydrogen, were derived from HR-ERDA/HRBS measurements, so that the profiles would reproduce both HR-ERDA and HRBS spectra simultaneously. The derived elemental depth profiles agree with state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulations, indicating the feasibility of this method.

Surface structure of imidazolium-based ionic liquids: Quantitative comparison between simulations and high-resolution RBS measurements.

Elemental depth profiles of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([CnMIM][TFSI], n = 4, 6, 8) are measured using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS). The profiles are compared with the results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both MD simulations and HRBS measurements show that the depth profiles deviate from the uniform stoichiometric composition in the surface region, showing preferential orientations of ions at the surface.

Tracing temperature in a nanometer size region in a picosecond time period.

Irradiation of materials with either swift heavy ions or slow highly charged ions leads to ultrafast heating on a timescale of several picosecond in a region of several nanometer. This ultrafast local heating result in formation of nanostructures, which provide a number of potential applications in nanotechnologies. These nanostructures are believed to be formed when the local temperature rises beyond the melting or boiling point of the material.

Surface structures of binary mixtures of imidazolium-based ionic liquids using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy.

Surface structures of binary mixtures of imidazolium-based ionic liquids having a common anion (bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([TFSI]), namely [C2MIM]1-x[C10MIM]x[TFSI] (x = 0.5 and 0.1), are studied using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS).

Photoacoustic emission from Au nanoparticles arrayed on thermal insulation layer.

Efficient photoacoustic emission from Au nanoparticles on a porous SiO(2) layer was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The Au nanoparticle arrays/porous SiO(2)/SiO(2)/Ag mirror sandwiches, namely, local plasmon resonators, were prepared by dynamic oblique deposition (DOD). Photoacoustic measurements were performed on the local plasmon resonators, whose optical absorption was varied from 0.

Heat-generating property of a local plasmon resonator under illumination.

We have investigated the heat generation from gold nanoparticles resulting from their local plasma resonance. We have demonstrated the self-assembly of Au nanoparticle arrays/dielectric layer/Ag mirror sandwiches, i.e.

Observation of surface structure of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy.

The surface structures of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C(n)MIM][TFSI], n=2,4,6) are studied by high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The average composition of the surface molecular layer is very close to the stoichiometric composition, showing that neither ion is enriched in the surface layer. A detailed analysis indicates that both cations and anions have preferential molecular orientations at the surface.

Analysis of ultra-thin HfO(2)/SiON/Si(001): comparison of three different techniques.

Composition depth profiling of HfO(2) (2.5 nm)/SiON (1.6 nm)/Si(001) was performed by three diffetent analytical techniques: high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS), angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS) and high-resolution elastic recoil detection (HR-ERD).

Observation of surface structure of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy.

The surface structure of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate is studied by high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) at room temperature. Elemental depth profiles are derived from the observed HRBS spectrum through spectrum simulation. While the obtained carbon profile has a sharp peak at the surface, the nitrogen profile shows a broader peak at a depth approximately 0.

Observation of molecular ordering at the surface of trimethylpropylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide using high-resolution rutherford backscattering spectroscopy.

The surface structure of trimethylpropylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([TMPA] [TFSI]) is studied by high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy at room temperature. The results provide direct evidence of the molecular ordering at the surface. The C1 conformer of the [TFSI] anion is dominant among two stable conformers, and the anions are oriented with their CF3 groups pointing toward the vacuum in the outermost molecular layer.

Au nanorod arrays tailored for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

We have demonstrated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) on arrays of Au nanorods aligned in line by a dynamic oblique deposition technique. For light polarized along the major axes of the nanorods, the plasma resonance of the Au nanorods has been tuned to a wavelength suitable for Raman spectroscopy. Raman scattering on the discrete nanorods is significantly enhanced compared with that on semicontinuous Au films.