NIR-shielding films based on PEDOT-PSS/polysiloxane and polysilsesquioxane hybrid

Near-infrared (NIR)-shielding films based on polysiloxane or polysilsesquioxanes and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) were synthesized via a sol–gel reaction. Phase-separated mixtures of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) or methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) with an aqueous dispersion of PEDOT-PSS formed deep-blue homogeneously dispersed sols after stirring. Thin films were prepared by depositing the resulting homogeneously dispersed sols on a glass substrate by spin coating and heating. PEDOT-PSS/TEOS films maintained uniform flat surfaces after 10 coatings. MTES-based films exhibited mottled patterns with nonuniform surfaces. The 10-layer TEOS-based film has high NIR-shielding properties with moderately visible transmittance. NIR absorption by the PEDOT-PSS/TEOS hybrid suppresses air temperature elevation. The five-layer TEOS-based film showed similar NIR-shielding ability and slightly lower visible light transmittance compared with tin-doped indium oxide glass. The 10-layer TEOS-based film exhibited a 15.6% lower temperature rise than the uncoated glass substrate. Specifically, this is an environmentally friendly NIR-shielding material. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48367.     

CTLA-4Ig Improves Hyperalgesia in a Mouse Model of Osteoporosis

This study aimed to evaluate skeletal pain associated with osteoporosis and to examine the inhibitory effects of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4Ig (CTLA-4Ig) administration in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Eight-week-old female ddY mice were assigned to three groups: sham-operated mice (SHAM) treated with vehicle, OVX mice treated with vehicle (OVX), and OVX mice treated with CTLA-4Ig (CTLA-4Ig). Vehicle or CTLA-4Ig was injected intraperitoneally, starting immediately after surgery. After 4 weeks of treatment, mechanical sensitivity was examined, and the bilateral hind limbs were removed and evaluated by micro-computed tomography, immunohistochemical analyses, and messenger RNA expression analysis. Ovariectomy induced bone loss and mechanical hyperalgesia in the hindlimbs. CTLA-4Ig treatment prevented bone loss in the hindlimbs compared to vehicle administration in the OVX group. Moreover, mechanical hyperalgesia was significantly decreased in the CTLA-4Ig treatment group in comparison to the OVX group. The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and sclerostin (SOST), as well as the number of osteoclasts, were increased, and the expression level of Wnt-10b was decreased in the OVX group compared with the SHAM group, whereas these parameters were improved in the CTLA-4Ig group compared with the OVX group. The novelty of this research is that CTLA-4Ig administration prevented bone loss and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by ovariectomy in the hindlimbs.     

Ultra-fine-group resonance treatment using equivalent Dancoff-factor cell model in lattice physics code GALAXY

In order to achieve highly accurate resonance calculations with short computation time , a new ultra-fine-group resonance calculation method is developed. The ultra-fine-group method has a limitation in practical design applications of large and complicated geometries in fuel assembly level due to its long computation time. Therefore, we developed an enhanced one-dimensional (1D) cylindrical pin-cell model to achieve both high calculation accuracy and short computation time. In the enhanced 1D cylindrical pin-cell modeling, moderator radius is adjusted to preserve each fuel pellet's Dancoff factor obtained in the exact 2D fuel lattice arrangement. We call this model the ‘equivalent Dancoff-factor’ cell model. This model can accurately consider heterogeneity effects in PWR fuel assemblies and can represent effective cross sections obtained by the ultra-fine-group calculations in the complicated 2D square lattice arrangements. The present method is implemented with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. lattice physics code GALAXY. From the comparisons of neutron multiplication factors and pin power distributions between GALAXY and a continuous-energy Monte Carlo code, applicability of the present method to lattice physics calculations is confirmed. Application of GALAXY with the present method achieves high accuracy with short computation time in normal operations and accident conditions including low moderator density conditions.     

New process for catalyst-free biodiesel production using subcritical acetic acid and supercritical methanol

The production of glycerol as a by-product is unavoidable in the current conventional biodiesel manufacturing processes. Since biodiesel production is expected to increase in the near future, effective utilization of glycerol will become an issue of interest. In this study, therefore, a process consisting of subcritical acetic acid treatment to convert rapeseed oil to fatty acids and triacetin followed by conversion of the obtained fatty acids to their fatty acid methyl esters in supercritical methanol treatment was investigated. The obtained results clearly revealed that this two-step reaction could proceed effectively at a high reaction rate, and that fatty acid methyl esters and triacetin could be obtained under milder reaction condition than the one-step process utilizing supercritical methyl acetate and supercritical methanol.     

An information service system using bluetooth in an exhibition hall

In an exhibition hall, it is important to provide visitors with information about the exhibit. In this paper, an information service system using Bluetooth in an exhibition hall is proposed. This system automatically provides an explanation of the nearby exhibit to visitors based on the estimated location information. This system can also act as a guide through the exhibit, leading the recommended tour. Moreover, several management support functions using the visitors’ location log are proposed. To keep continuous connection between access points and a visitor’s mobile device for smooth browsing operation, a pre-download method and a special handover are proposed. The pre-download method decides the information to be downloaded based on the visitor browse. The download order is determined based on the prediction of the visitor movement. Through the simulation in various room-layouts, access point layouts and walking routes, the effectiveness of the proposed methods are shown. The prototype of the information service system that installs the proposed methods has been developed.     

Long-optical-path scanning mechanism for optical coherence tomography

A new scanning mechanism for changing long optical paths is proposed. This mechanism consists of corner reflectors arranged equally upon a disk and an outer mirror. Rotating the 120-mm disk causes a long-optical-path change in each reflector with a near linearity of more than 40 mm. An optical coherence tomography system is described that confirms the usefulness of the proposed mechanism. Its operating characteristics and accuracy are evaluated by analysis and experiment. The deviation of the optical-path change is less than 1.52% at a reflector rotation angle of +/-10 degrees. A high-speed lock-in amplifier is utilized for fundamental measurements of glass samples.     

Analytical prediction of contact stiffness and friction damping in bolted connection

This paper presents an analytical method to predict contact stiffness and friction damping in bolted connections. Despite its importance in machine design, analytical prediction of the contact parameters has not been realized because of difficulty in time-history nonlinear analysis of sticking/sliding contact. In this study, a torsional contact model around a connecting bolt is developed. Linear phenomena are extracted and solved by FEM analysis, and then linear combination of the FEM results is calculated iteratively to search sticking/sliding zones in torque equilibrium. Proposed model is experimentally validated, and it will lead to fully analytical modelling of practical machines.     

An exact strip packing algorithm based on canonical forms

Given a set of rectangles and a rectangular container with a fixed width, called a strip, the two-dimensional strip packing problem (2SP) requires all the given rectangles to be placed orthogonally without overlap within the strip so as to minimize the height of the strip. 2SP and its variants have many applications in steel and textile industries, including an indirect application in scheduling problems. However, 2SP is known to be NP-hard.     

The Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Teneligliptin Attenuates Hepatic Lipogenesis via AMPK Activation in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Model Mice

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, is increasingly a major cause of hepatic disorder. Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors, anti-diabetic agents, are expected to be effective for the treatment of NAFLD. In the present study, we established a novel NAFLD model mouse using monosodium glutamate (MSG) and a high-fat diet (HFD) and investigated the effects of a DPP-4 inhibitor, teneligliptin, on the progression of NAFLD. Male MSG/HFD-treated mice were divided into two groups, one of which received teneligliptin in drinking water. Administration of MSG and HFD caused mice to develop severe fatty changes in the liver, but teneligliptin treatment improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation, as evaluated by the NAFLD activity score. Serum alanine aminotransferase and intrahepatic triglyceride levels were significantly decreased in teneligliptin-treated mice (p < 0.05). Hepatic mRNA levels of the genes involved in de novo lipogenesis were significantly downregulated by teneligliptin (p < 0.05). Moreover, teneligliptin increased hepatic expression levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein. These findings suggest that teneligliptin attenuates lipogenesis in the liver by activating AMPK and downregulating the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis. DPP-4 inhibitors may be effective for the treatment of NAFLD and may be able to prevent its progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.