Prediction of carcass composition and individual carcass cuts of Japanese Black steers

The objective of this study was to develop equations to predict carcass tissue weights and percentages and boneless carcass non-trimmed cut weights by using the cold carcass weight (CCW) and three other traits at the 6–7th rib section, which are routinely collected in carcass markets in Japan. Carcasses from 94 Japanese Black steers were used for the multiple regression analysis with a stepwise procedure and a novel Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). The accuracies of prediction (R²) and RMSEs for the carcass tissue and cut weights were similar between the two procedures. In contrast, LASSO appeared to be the better procedure for predicting carcass tissue percentages. The longissimus muscle area and subcutaneous fat thickness were the important predictors for the lean percentage in the stepwise procedure, and CCW was additionally selected when the LASSO procedure was used.     

Biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene with Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 53968 and its mutant in an interface bioreactor

An interface bioreactor was used in the biodesulfurization (BDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) with Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 53968. Although this strain could efficiently degrade DBT to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP), the microbial film peeled off from the surface of the carrier (agar plate) to an organic phase (dodecane or tetradecane). To overcome this problem, a UV mutant, which strongly adhered to the carrier surface, was obtained by a new screening method. The best UV mutant (UM-021) could efficiently catalyze the BDS and the microbial film did not peel off from the surface of the carrier to tetradecane layer.     

Development of a deep-hole, laser-guide boring tool: the boring of workpieces with a thin wall and an inclined prebored hole

A laser-guided BTA tool has been developed to prevent axial hole deviations. Four kinds of experiments were conducted to examine the performance of this tool in detail and to determine its practical application using a duralumin (A2017-T4) workpiece with a prebored 108-mm diameter hole. The first experiment was performed to examine the conditions of the hole deviation in the case of normal deep-hole boring. The second was to examine whether the tool corrects for the stated hole deviation. The third was to examine whether the tool can go straight through to the target without shifting toward a thin wall (t = 0.7 mm) on one side of the workpiece. The fourth was to examine whether the tool can be guided toward the target without affecting a prebored hole, which was inclined to radial direction at 100 μm for a hole length of 100 mm. The experiments were performed with a rotating tool-stationary workpiece system. Rotational speed was 270 rpm and feed ws 0.125 mm/rev. Tool diameter was 110 mm. The results show that the tool can be guided to go straight through toward the target despite the disturbances.     

Frequency stabilization of a semiconductor laser under direct FSK modulation: The modulation method and evaluation of stability

The frequency stability of a semiconductor laser deteriorated under direct frequency shift keying (FSK) when stabilization depended entirely upon an external frequency reference. Therefore, the PEAK method was devised for the purpose of improving frequency stability. This method requires two distinct frequency components and, therefore, will not work effectively in a communications system that produces a succession of identical frequencies, as does the FSK method on occasion. This paper, then, explains the results of our comparative analysis of the two modulation methods. The evaluation of frequency stability requires us to use a beat note between two stabilized laser beams, referred to here, as “signal” and “reference,” lasers. The reference laser is stabilized by a method that takes advantage of the magneto-optical effect. This laser restrains the tendency of the beat note frequency to broaden in other stabilization methods, and even makes it possible to predetermine the beat frequency to be employed. The improvement in frequency stability obtained is about one order of magnitude. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 125(2): 44–51, 1998     

An immuno-wall microdevice exhibits rapid and sensitive detection of IDH1-R132H mutation specific to grade II and III gliomas

World Health Organization grade II and III gliomas most frequently occur in the central nervous system (CNS) in adults. Gliomas are not circumscribed; tumor edges are irregular and consist of tumor cells, normal brain tissue, and hyperplastic reactive glial cells. Therefore, the tumors are not fully resectable, resulting in recurrence, malignant progression, and eventual death. Approximately 69–80% of grade II and III gliomas harbor mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 gene (IDH1), of which 83–90% are found to be the IDH1-R132H mutation. Detection of the IDH1-R132H mutation should help in the differential diagnosis of grade II and III gliomas from other types of CNS tumors and help determine the boundary between the tumor and normal brain tissue. In this study, we established a highly sensitive antibody-based device, referred to as the immuno-wall, to detect the IDH1-R132H mutation in gliomas. The immuno-wall causes an immunoreaction in microchannels fabricated using a photo-polymerizing polymer. This microdevice enables the analysis of the IDH1 status with a small sample within 15 min with substantially high sensitivity. Our results suggested that 10% content of the IDH1-R132H mutation in a sample of 0.33 μl volume, with 500 ng protein, or from 500 cells is theoretically sufficient for the analysis. The immuno-wall device will enable the rapid and highly sensitive detection of the IDH1-R132H mutation in routine clinical practice.     

Continuous synthesis of Zn2SiO4:Mn fine particles in supercritical water at temperatures of 400-500 °C and pressures of 30-35 MPa

Sub-micron sized Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phosphors particles were continuously synthesized in supercritical water with a flow reactor. Colloidal silica or sodium silicate was used as the Si source. Zn and Mn sources were chosen from their nitrates, sulfates, and acetates. The syntheses were carried out at temperatures from 400 to 500 °C, at pressures from 30 to 35 MPa, at NaOH concentrations from 0.014 to 0.025 M, and for residence times from 0.025 to 0.18 s. Sodium silicate formed α- and β-Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phases regardless of the Zn and Mn sources, while colloidal silica formed phases dependent on the type of Zn and Mn sources used in addition to the use of alkali. As the reaction temperature increased, the crystallinity of α-Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phase increased and the Mn substitution into the Zn sites of the α-Zn₂SiO₄ phase decreased. Of the conditions studied, the most highly crystalline α-Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ was produced at a temperature of 400 °C, a pressure of 30 MPa, a NaOH concentration of 0.14 M, and a residence time of 0.13 s with Zn and Mn sulfates and colloidal silica as starting materials. The α-Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ fine particles synthesized were round in shape, had an average diameter of 268 nm, and exhibited a green-emission with a peak wavelength of 524 nm.     

Thermal transients during processing of materials by very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing

Dynamic recrystallisation at interfaces has been suggested as the bonding mechanism in the joining of metallic tapes, during very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing. To understand the reasons for such occurrence of dynamic recrystallization, thermal transients from the interface regions were recorded during processing of aluminum alloy (3003 and 6061 series) and 11 000 copper tapes under similar conditions. Measurements in 3003 Al were also carried out for different processing parameters. Measured peak temperatures were seen to increase with increase in shear strength of the material and ultrasonic vibration amplitude. The observations have been rationalized based on interfacial heating at asperities due to adiabatic plastic deformation.     

Decarboxylation of the 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate anion catalyzed by cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridinium) salts

Summary Catalysis of cationic polyelectrolytes for the decarboxylation of 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate anion was studied in a buffer solution (pH=9.0). Cross-linked poly (4-vinylpyridinium) salts prepared from 4-vinylpyridine and , -dibromides were used as cationic catalysts. The cross-linked catalysts were found to accelerate markedly the decarboxylation in comparison with the linear water-soluble analogues. Effect of the polymer structure such as the length of (CH₂)_x linkages between positive charges on the catalytic activity was examined. It was suggested that the acceleration by the cross-linked polymer catalysts would be due to the hydrophobic microenvironment around the catalytic sites.     

Influence of electrical conditions on performance of electrical discharge machining with powder suspended in working oil for titanium carbide deposition process

This paper describes the influence of the discharge current and the pulse duration on the titanium carbide (TiC) deposition process by electrical discharge machining (EDM) with titanium (Ti) powder suspended in working oil. Although the influence of the electrical conditions for removal EDM has been investigated, the criteria for deposition have not been discussed. In the experiments, a 1-mm copper rod was used for an electrode to prevent the flushing of working oil from the gap between the electrode and a workpiece. Ti powder reacted with the cracked carbon from the working oil, then depositing a TiC layer on a workpiece surface. A major criterion of the deposition or removal was the discharge energy over a pulse duration of 10 μs. A thickness of the TiC layer became the maximum at a certain discharge current and pulse duration. Larger discharge energy and power promoted the removal by heat and pressure caused by the discharge. The removal was classified further into two patterns; cracks were observed on the Ti-rich surface in removal pattern 1 and a workpiece was simply removed in removal pattern 2. The maximum hardness of the deposition was 2000 Hv. The workpiece about 10 μm beneath its surface was also hardened because of the dispersion of TiC. The machining conditions for the hardest deposition did not coincide with those for the highest one. Therefore, the discharge current and pulse duration should be optimized for the deposition.     

Multiple pulse-heating experiments with different current to determine total emissivity, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity of electrically conductive materials at high temperatures

A modified pulse-heating method is proposed to improve the accuracy of measurement of the hemispherical total emissivity, specific heat capacity, and electrical resistivity of electrically conductive materials at high temperatures. The proposed method is based on the analysis of a series of rapid resistive self-heating experiments on a sample heated at different temperature rates. The method is used to measure the three properties of the IG-110 grade of isotropic graphite at temperatures from 850 to 1800 K. The problem of the extrinsic heating-rate effect, which reduces the accuracy of the measurements, is successfully mitigated by compensating for the generally neglected experimental error associated with the electrical measurands (current and voltage). The results obtained by the proposed method can be validated by the linearity of measured quantities used in the property determinations. The results are in reasonably good agreement with previously published data, which demonstrate the suitability of the proposed method, in particular, to the resistivity and total emissivity measurements. An interesting result is the existence of a minimum in the emissivity of the isotropic graphite at around 1120 K, consistent with the electrical resistivity results.