Development of incremental deep drawing process

This paper deals with development of an incremental deep drawing process. On a newly developed incremental deep drawing set-up, the aluminium sheets are formed; the forming is carried out by deep-drawing the blank as in the conventional method but incrementally. Fractures at the punch or die corner in the blank may or may not occur depending on the conditions; the process parameters involved are punch size, punch corner radius, increment in punch displacement, blank holding force or pressure, etc. It is thus shown that different shapes are formed by one set of common tools. It is thereby confirmed that incremental deep drawing is possible without using a particular tool set for a particular shape.     

Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on M1/M2 Macrophage Polarization

Osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK) is a chronic degenerative disease and progresses with an imbalance of cytokines and macrophages in the joint. Studies regarding the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a point-of-care treatment for OAK have reported on its effect on tissue repair and suppression of inflammation but few have reported on its effect on macrophages and macrophage polarization. Based on our clinical experience with two types of PRP kits Cellaid Serum Collection Set P type kit (leukocyte-poor-PRP) and an Autologous Protein Solution kit (APS leukocyte-rich-PRP), we investigated the concentrations of humoral factors in PRPs prepared from the two kits and the effect of humoral factors on macrophage phenotypes. We found that the concentrations of cell components and humoral factors differed between PRPs purified using the two kits; APS had a higher concentration of M1 and M2 macrophage related factors. The addition of PRP supernatants to the culture media of monocyte-derived macrophages and M1 polarized macrophages revealed that PRPs suppressed M1 macrophage polarization and promoted M2 macrophage polarization. This research is the first to report the effect of PRPs purified using commercial kits on macrophage polarization.     

Phototoxicities Caused by Continuous Light Exposure Were Not Induced in Retinal Ganglion Cells Transduced by an Optogenetic Gene

The death of photoreceptor cells is induced by continuous light exposure. However, it is unclear whether light damage was induced in retinal ganglion cells with photosensitivity by transduction of optogenetic genes. In this study, we evaluated the phototoxicities of continuous light exposure on retinal ganglion cells after transduction of the optogenetic gene mVChR1 using an adeno-associated virus vector. Rats were exposed to continuous light for a week, and visually evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded. The intensities of continuous light (500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 lx) increased substantially after VEP recordings. After the final recording of VEPs, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were retrogradely labeled with a fluorescein tracer, FluoroGold, and the number of retinal ganglion cells was counted under a fluorescent microscope. There was no significant reduction in the amplitudes of VEPs and the number of RGCs after exposure to any light intensity. These results indicated that RGCs were photosensitive after the transduction of optogenetic genes and did not induce any phototoxicity by continuous light exposure.     

Purification of characterization of soybean allergen Gly m Bd 28K

The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of trabecular bone is frequently quantified using computer programs. However, there are no standardized implementations of morphology programs and many variations are possible. Even though programs may use the same basic method, results can be significantly different because of differences in implementation. Morphology data from different laboratories therefore may not be comparable. The method of directed secants, with parallel plate assumptions, is commonly used to quantify 3D morphology. We examined the effect of several variations in the implementation of this method on measurements of trabecular plate number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness, and trabecular spacing. Three-dimensional micromagnetic resonance images of 10 bovine trabecular bone specimens were analyzed using several variations of the directed secant method. An analysis of covariance with repeated measures suggested that variations in the algorithm used to count test line intersections, variations in the criteria used to classify a test coordinate as bone or marrow, and variations in the number of test grid rotations had significant effects on Tb.N (p < 0.0001). The largest difference in Tb.N (52%) was due to the method used to count test line intersections with the bone-marrow interface. Variations in the classification algorithm and variations in the number of test line grid rotations resulted in a 6% difference in Tb.N. The spacing of the test line grids did not affect Tb.N (p = 0.28), and all differences were independent of volume fraction (p = 0.67). These data show that there can be significant differences in trabecular bone morphology measurements due only to the method used for the measurements. To facilitate comparisons between laboratories, we have made validated computer programs to measure trabecular bone morphology available over the Internet.     

Study of 4Hb-TaS2 and graphite intercalation compound by STM/STS

Investigations of charge-density waves (CDW) in 4Hb-TaS₂ and the shifted Fermi level in a CoCl₂ graphite intercalation compound (GIC) were performed by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) A discrimination of the surface electronic structure of the octahedral structure and of the trigonal-prismatic structure in 4Hb-TaS₂ was made successfully in terms of the electronic properties. The measured value of the charge-density-wave gap in 4Hb-TaS₂ at room temperature was about 85 meV. The shifted Fermi level in CoCl₂-GIC was measured to be about 400 meV.     

Structure and composition analysis of silicon aluminium oxynitride polytypes by combined use of structure imaging and microanalysis

The relationship between the chemical composition and the crystal structure of the 12H and the 15R polytypes of silicon aluminium oxynitride (sialon) is studied by combined techniques of crystal structure imaging and spectroscopic microanalysis using a new 400 kV high-resolution analytical electron microscope. The chemical compositions of 12H and 15R are determined to be SiAl₅O₂N₅ and SiAl₄O₂N₄, respectively, from quantitative analysis with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The space groups are determined uniquely to be non-centrosymmetric P6₃mc and R3m for the 12H and the 15R, respectively, by observing symmetries appearing in both convergent beam electron diffraction patterns and structure images. The structure images observed are interpreted on the basis of calculated images for proposed structure models, in which the structures consist of stacking sequences of the octahedral and the tetrahedral layers. The structure models are confirmed by calculation of the X-ray diffraction pattern.     

Atomically Sharp Crack in 15R-Sialon

A crack which propagated naturally in 15R-sialon was observed by high-resolution TEM. The crack was found to be atomically sharp and there was no evidence of microplasticity near the tip. The deformation of the lattice around the crack is discussed by considering a linear fracture mechanics model.