The Effect of Small Additions of Fe and Heavy Deformation on the Precipitation in an Al–1.1Mg–0.5Cu–0.3Si At. Pct Alloy

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The effect of 0.03 and 0.08 at. pct Fe additions on the formation of secondary phases in an Al–1.1Mg–0.5Cu–0.3Si at. pct alloy was...     

Investigation of pathways of advanced glycation end-products accumulation in macrophages

Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) play a role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including diabetic complications and atherosclerosis. In atherosclerotic lesions of human aortas, AGE are localized in the extracellular matrix and intracellularly in foam cells. Two interpretations are possible for AGE accumulation inside macrophages, one is endocytic uptake of extracellular AGE-proteins by scavenger receptors; the other is intracellular AGE formation inside the macrophages. In the present study, we determined the pathways involved in AGE accumulation inside macrophages. RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, incubated with BSA and 1600 mM glucose for 40 weeks, recognized heavily modified AGE- BSA. In contrast, the cells showed no ligand activity for mildly modified AGE-BSA, prepared by incubating BSA with 50 mM glucose for 24 weeks. Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML)-modified proteins of about 65 kDa were detected in human monocyte-derived macrophages incubated for 7 days with 30 mM glucose and phorbol myristate acetate. Furthermore, CML was generated when glycated protein was incubated with hypochloric acid. Taken together, our results indicate that AGE detected inside foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions are generated intracellularly rather than representing endocytic uptake of extracellular AGE-proteins by scavenger receptors.     

Bis-(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate and acyl phosphatidylglycerol isolated from human livers of lipidosis induced by 4,4′-diethylaminoethoxyhexesterol

Bis-(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate and acyl phosphatidylglycerol were isolated from the liver of two patients with lipidosis induced by 4,4′-diethylaminoethoxyhexesterol. Identification was based upon the results of alkaline hydrolysis, acetolysis, IR spectrometry, and upon the determination of molar ratio of phosphorus-glycerol-ester. The contents of the bis-(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate were 10 and 16% total phospholipid phosphorus in them. The bis-(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate contained mainly docosahexaenoic (42%), oleic (29%), and linoleic acid (14%) and had the hemolytic activity of ca. one-eighth lysolecithin from egg yolk. Acidic lipids from the liver also were found to contain a lipid which is less polar than bis-(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate. The results of lipid analysis showed that the lipid possessed the structure of an acyl phosphatidylglycerol, and its content was ca. 2% total phospholipid phosphorus. Accumulation of 4,4′-diethylaminoethoxyhexesterol and its derivatives was found in clinical cases by thin layer chromatography and IR spectrometry. This fact suggested that human liver has an ability to metabolize the drug.     

Precision dilatometer analysis of neutron-irradiated nuclear graphite recovery process up to 1673 K

Specimens of two kinds of isotropic nuclear graphite, IG-110U and ETP-10, were neutron-irradiated at fluence of 1.92 × 10²⁴ n/m² (E > 1.0 MeV) at 473 K. The recoveries of the macroscopic lengths of these specimens during isothermal and isochronal annealing at temperatures of up to 1673 K were investigated in a step-wise manner by using a precision dilatometer. The macroscopic lengths after isochronal annealing for 6 h at each temperature decreased gradually as the temperature was increased to 1673 K. The recovery trends of the c-axis and a-axis lattice parameters differed from one another, and from the macroscopic length recovery trends. For the IG-110U specimen, the activation energies (E_a) of macroscopic volume recovery corresponding to annealing at 523–773, 773–923, 923–1073, and 1073–1173 K were found to be 0.15, 0.34, 0.73, and 2.59 eV, respectively. For the ETP-10 specimen, the E_a corresponding to 523–923, 923–1223, and 1223–1373 K were determined to be 0.15, 0.46, and 2.19 eV, respectively. These results indicate that both graphite specimens underwent three or four stages of macroscopic length recovery between 523 K and the annealing temperatures at which their initial lengths were recovered. It is suggested that during the first stage recovery proceeded via the migration of single interstitials along the basal plane and the resulting V-I recombination. In the middle stages, recovery occurred due to the migration of interstitial groups such as C₂ along the basal plane, while in the last stage, it proceeded via through-layer migration of interstitials or migration of single vacancies.     

Measurement of the isotopic abundance of boron-10 by inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry

This article describes the method for measuring the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B in nuclear grade boron carbide using inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS). The results of investigation revealed that both the integration time and the dwell time have a major influence on the reproducibility of ICP-QMS measurements. As a result of optimization of the measurement conditions, reproducibility below 0.2% relative standard deviation (RSD) (0.17% RSD maximum) was achieved. In addition, the measured value of the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B for each sample well agreed with the values measured by the TIMS. Thus, the method described in the present investigation was very effective in the analysis of isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B in B₄C or H₃BO₃. The results of this study suggest that ICP-QMS could be applied to the precise analysis of the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B required in the field of nuclear applications.     

Bias-stress-induced increase in parasitic resistance of InP-based InAlAs/InGaAs HEMTs

The reliability of InP-based HEMTs is studied, focussing on how it is affected by the doped layer material and gate recess structure. Bias-and-temperature stress tests reveal that fluorine-induced donor passivation in the recess region, formed adjacent to the gate electrode, causes the source resistance (R_s) to increase at large drain bias voltages. The increase in R_s can be prevented by using InP or InAlP as the carrier supply layer material instead of InAlAs. On the other hand, the increase in the drain resistance (R_d) does not depend on the material of the carrier supply layer, which suggests that a mechanism different from that in the case of R_s should be considered. It is also found that a deep gate recess suppresses the increase in R_d after long-term stressing.     

Application of a novel polypropylene to the insulation of an electric power cable

Cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) has been widely adopted as insulating material for high‐voltage power cables up to 500 kV. Further improvement of electrical and thermal properties on insulating material is required in order to increase cable operation efficiency. Therefore, the development of novel insulating material possessing high thermal properties will be necessary. Recent progress of catalysis technology contributes to obtain new polymeric materials which may be applied to electrical insulation. The authors investigated the basic properties of newly developed stereoregular syndiotactic polypropylene (s‐PP) which is synthesized with homogeneous metallocene catalyst. Though recycling of cross‐linked polymers such as conventionally used XLPE may be difficult because of their poor heat deformation, the s‐PP which is not cross‐linked must be suitable for recycling. A series of experiments on its physical and electrical properties gave the following results.

• (1) s‐PP has sufficient flexibility compared with isotactic polypropylene (i‐PP ).
• (2) Both AC and lightning impulse breakdown strength of s‐PP in spite of no cross‐linking are superior to those of XLPE in the temperature range from 25 to 90 °C.
• (3) Degradation by copper of s‐PP is less than that of i‐PP.
• (4) s‐PP/VLDPE blend shows sufficient brittleness temperature for use.

These results suggested that s‐PP should serve as insulating material for power cables at higher‐temperature operation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(1): 18–26, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002//eej.10210     

日本锂离子蓄电池技术的开发过程和最新趋势

锂离子蓄电池已被广泛应用于蜂窝移动电话、笔记本电脑及摄录像一体机等便携式电器的电源。这种新型电池体系的研究和开发工作始于 1981年 ,其起源是对采用电子导电聚合物———聚乙炔作为负极材料的锂蓄电池的开发。此后 ,研究的重点从聚乙炔转移到具有同样的 pi电子的碳材料上。在含锂离子的金属氧化物LiCoO2 被采用为正极材料后 ,锂离子蓄电池终于开发成功。在锂离子蓄电池实现商品化生产后 ,许多相应的技术也被开发出来 ,而这些新技术将会提高锂离子蓄电池的性能。     

Signal flow graph modelling of interleaved buck converters

This paper presents a systematic development of unified signal flow graph model for an interleaved buck converter system operating in continuous inductor current mode. From this signal flow graph small, large‐signal and steady‐state models are developed, which are useful to study the converter dynamic and steady‐state behaviour. Converter performance expressions like steady‐state voltage gain, efficiency expressions and other small‐signal characteristic transfer functions are derived. Development of unified signal flow graph is explained for a 3‐cell interleaved converter system. Derivation of large, small‐signal and steady‐state models from the unified signal flow graph is demonstrated by considering a 2‐cell interleaved buck converter system. Large signal model was programmed in TUTSIM simulator, and the large‐signal responses against supply, load disturbances were predicted. Signal flow graph analysis results are validated with PSIM simulations. Further, the mathematical models obtained from the signal flow graph modelling are in agreement with those obtained from the state‐space averaging technique. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.