Modeling the viscoelasticity of polyetherimide

Viscoelasticity is a mechanical phenomenon where the material modulus varies with time and temperature. Modern experimental methods can determine material properties within certain time and temperature ranges, but modeling the viscoelastic behavior remains challenging, mainly because the data processing is complex and different materials have distinct properties. Using polyetherimide as an example and based on the change in the secondary bonds of polyetherimide in different viscoelastic stages, we proposed a new shift factor model in Arrhenius format with alterable activation energy. We also used two methods based on nonlinear least squares to obtain the Maxwell model of the polyetherimide, and we then used a novel method integrated with Laplace transforms and partial fraction decomposition to convert the Maxwell model into the Voigt model. The results of our model are reliable and self‐consistent, showing its potential for modeling the viscoelasticity of other materials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46102.     

Synthesis and physical properties of poly(l‐lactic acid)‐poly(dimethyl siloxane) multiblock copolymers prepared by direct polycondensation

Multiblock copolymers consisting of poly(l ‐lactic acid) and poly(dimethyl siloxane) were prepared by the polycondensation of oligo(l ‐lactic acid) (OLLA) with dihydroxyl‐terminated oligo(dimethyl siloxane) and dicarboxyl‐terminated oligo(dimethyl siloxane). Copolymers with number‐average molecular weights of 18,000?33,000 Da and various content ratios of oligo(dimethyl siloxane) (ODMS) unit were obtained by changing the feed ratio of these oligomers. A film prepared from the copolymer with an ODMS content ratio of 0.37 exhibited two independent peaks at ?107°C and 37°C in the mechanical loss tangent for temperature dependence, suggesting the formation of microphase separation between the OLLA and ODMS segments. The film had a tensile strength of 3.2 MPa and a high elongation of 132%. The film also exhibited a high strain recovery even after repeated straining. The incorporation of dimethyl siloxane units as multiblock segments was confirmed to improve the flexibility of poly(l ‐lactic acid). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40211.     

Urinary trypsin inhibitor reduces inflammatory response in kidney induced by lipopolysaccharide

Human urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), a serine protease inhibitor, has been widely used in Japan as a drug for patients with acute inflammatory disorders such as septic shock and pancreatitis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers the sepsis syndrome by activating monocytes to produce proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), which potently stimulate the activation of neutrophils. The inhibitory mechanism of UTI on the systemic inflammatory response induced by the intraperitoneal injection of LPS in the kidney is unclear. This study was undertaken to examine the inhibitory effects of UTI on renal injury associated with the systemic inflammatory response induced by LPS stimulation, with emphasis on systemic TNFalpha and the activation of neutrophils in rat kidney. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome was induced by LPS treatment. Serum and renal TNFalpha, renal cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, as well as renal function after LPS stimulation, were evaluated. UTI (50,000 U/kg) inhibited LPS-induced increases in the serum and renal tissue levels of TNFalpha, as well as the renal tissue levels of CINC-1 and MPO after LPS stimulation. UTI (50,000 U/kg) also inhibited the production of serum TNFalpha associated with the systemic inflammatory response syndrome induced by LPS stimulation, thereby attenuating neutrophil infiltration into renal tissues and subsequent neutrophil-mediated renal injury. These findings may have important implications in understanding the biologic functions of UTI. UTI may prove useful in protecting against acute renal injury associated with a systemic inflammatory response.     

Nanostructured bulk copper fabricated by accumulative roll bonding

In this study, we tried to fabricate the nanostructured bulk copper alloys by a severe plastic deformation process. The sheets of copper alloys (OFC, PMC90, and DLP) were heavily deformed to an equivalent strain of 6.4 by the accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) process. The microstructure and the mechanical property of the fabricated specimens were systematically investigated. The microstructure was finely subdivided with increasing the equivalent strain by the ARB process. The severely deformed copper alloys exhibited the ultrafine lamellar boundary structure where the mean lamella spacing was about 200 nm. The strength significantly increased with decreasing the lamella spacing in the ARB processed copper alloys. Especially, the tensile strength of the DLP alloys ARB processed by 8 cycles (the equivalent strain of 6.4) reached to 520 MPa, which was about three times higher than that of same materials with conventional grain size of 10-100 microm. On the other hand, the total elongation greatly dropped only by 1 ARB cycle corresponding to an equivalent strain of 0.8, which was around 3%. However, the total elongation increased again with increasing the number of the ARB cycle, and it reached to 10% after 8 cycles. The recovery of the total elongation could be recognized in all studied copper alloys. The obtained stress-strain curves showed that the improvement of the total elongation was caused by the increase in the post-uniform elongation. It can be concluded that the nanostructured copper alloys sheets having high strength without a large loss of ductility could be fabricated by the ARB process.     

Glass Substrates for OLED Lighting with High Out-coupling Efficiency

Glass substrates which realize high out-coupling efficiency OLEDs （organic light emitting diodes） were developed. A scattering layer whose matrix was made of high refractive index glass was formed on a glass substrate, and pores in the glass matrix work as scattering centers. The out-coupling efficiency of an OLED using this substrate is 1.8 times higher compared with an OLED using an untreated glass substrate. Furthermore angular dependency of the color and color variation between panels can be successfully suppressed.     

Optical compensation of hologram distortion avoiding interpage crosstalk on reconstructed image in angle-multiplexed holograms

We are studying a form of holographic data storage with phase conjugation, and we compensated for hologram distortion due to shrinkage of photopolymer materials in the holographic medium by controlling the wavefront of the reference beam. When a high NA lens and narrow angle interval of angle multiplexing are employed to obtain a high data recording density, some wavefronts cause interpage crosstalk on the reconstructed image. We tried to determine the moving range of actuators in a deformable mirror for controlling the wavefront. As a result, we found that the distortion in the hologram could be compensated while avoiding interpage crosstalk and that the bit error rates of the reproduced data could be decreased. We also found that the optimized wavefront could compensate for distortions in several neighboring data pages. This method can ensure a high data recording density in holographic data storage.     

Influence of hydrogen and frequency on fatigue crack growth behavior of Cr-Mo steel

Fatigue tests on Cr-Mo steel quenched at 860°C and tempered at 580°C were carried out under the frequencies of 0.2, 2, and 20 Hz with specimens containing a small artificial hole. An additional test in which the test frequency was alternately switched between 0.02 and 2 Hz was carried out. Hydrogen charging to the specimens was carried out by an immersion method. The fatigue life of the hydrogen-charged specimens remarkably decreased in comparison with that of the uncharged specimens. The fatigue crack growth rate da/dN increased with decreasing the test frequency f. The acceleration of da/dN saturated at \({\Delta K\,<\,17\,{\rm MPa}\sqrt{m}}\) for f ≤ 2 Hz. The presence of the upper bound for the fatigue crack growth acceleration was found with respect to the effects of hydrogen and test frequency in a hydrogen environment. The test switching the frequency between 0.02 and 2 Hz resulted the difference in fatigue crack growth morphology which is presumed to be caused by the difference in hydrogen concentration in the vicinity of crack tip. The particular crack morphology under the low test frequency with hydrogen was the localization of the slip around the crack tip and the linearization of the crack growth path. The hydrogen-enhanced striation formation model which was proposed to explain the effect of hydrogen on the fatigue crack growth for an austenitic stainless steel and low carbon steel can be applied also to the quenched and tempered Cr-Mo steel in this study.     

1,8-Cineole Ameliorates Steatosis of Pten Liver Specific KO Mice via Akt Inactivation

Hepatocyte-specific Phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten)-knockout (KO) mice exhibit hepatic lesions analogous to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 1,8-cineole is a monoterpene oxide and it has several biological effects including hepatoprotective effects. In this study we revealed that 1,8-cineole ameliorates NASH of Pten KO mice. Pten KO mice were assigned to a control group without any medication or to a 1,8-cineole group injected with 50 mg/kg i.p. twice per week for eight weeks. At eight weeks, livers from each group were processed to measure triglyceride (TG) content, gene expression analysis, western blot analysis, and histological examination including Oil red O staining. 1,8-cineole ameliorated hepatic steatosis in Pten KO mice, revealed by TG content and Oil red O staining. Moreover, 1,8-cineole downregulated collagen 1a1 expression and improved liver fibrosis. Thus, 1,8-cineole has potential as a candidate to treat NASH by inactivating the Akt/PI3-kinase pathway.     

Dissolution Rates of Solid Oxides into Molten Slags

To reduce refractory damage during steelmaking, precise control of slag composition is important. Usually, the formation and decomposition rates of interfacial layer are considered to be rate‐controlling steps. The influence of the interfacial layer on the dissolution rate was investigated. The reagents were mixed and sintered to make an oxide that simulated the interfacial layer. The sample was added to molten slag stirred by Ar gas, and the dissolution rate was determined from the change in slag composition. The results revealed the importance of the effects of the density and composition of the interfacial layer on the dissolution rate.     

Analysis of multicrystalline silicon solar cells by modified 3-diode equivalent circuit model taking leakage current through periphery into consideration

We proposed a modified 3-diode equivalent circuit model for analysis of multicrystalline silicon (Mc-Si) solar cells. By using this equivalent circuit model, we can precisely evaluate the characteristics of Mc-Si solar cells taking the influence of grain boundaries and large leakage current through the peripheries into consideration and extract electrical properties. The calculated value of current-voltage characteristics for small size (3 mm×3 mm) Mc-Si solar cells using this model completely agreed with the measured value at various cell temperatures. Moreover, the calculated open-circuit voltage (V_oc) obtained by extracted parameters and measured V_oc agreed well.