The cause of polyurethane catheter cracking during constant infusion of etoposide (VP-16) injection

We studied the cause of cracking of a clinically used polyurethane (PU) catheter during the constant infusion of etoposide (VP-16) injection (Lastet), administered without dilution to patients as a part of combination high-dose chemotherapy. After VP-16 injection was infused into the PU catheter at a constant infusion rate (30 ml/h) for 24 h, a decrease in the elasticity (36% of untreated) and on increase in the length of the catheter (3.7%) were observed. These changes were significantly higher than those treated with the control saline. The similar changes of the PU catheter were observed after treatment with a basal solution containing polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), polysorbate 80 and ethanol, which is the vehicle of the VP-16 injection, and with ethanol alone. Moreover, obvious degeneration of the internal wall (occurrence of spots like melting) and cutting face (micro-cracking) of the catheter was observed with an electron microscope after treatment with the vehicle. On the other hand, the elasticity or extension of the PU catheter were not changed after treatment with saline or PEG 400. From these findings, it was suggested that the degeneration and subsequent cracking of the PU catheter during the infusion of VP-16 injection was caused by ethanol contained in its injection solution. No cracking or morphological changes of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silicone catheters were found after treatment with the vehicle solution. However, since it has been reported in previous reports that di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was leached from PVC bags, the high dose chemotherapy with the dilution-free VP-16 injection should be achieved safely and effectively using a silicon catheter, rather than the PU catheter.     

Effects of small additions of lead,sulphur and oxygen on annealing characteristics of cold-drawn pure copper

Softening of cold-drawn wires of a tough pitch copper containing a small amount of lead as well as oxygen and sulphur is enhanced when hot-rolled rods of the copper are heated at 600 °C before cold-drawing. Enhancement causes were examined using wires of pure Cu, Cu-O, Cu-S, Cu-Pb, Cu-Pb-O, Cu-Pb-S, Cu-Pb-S-O. The softening enhancement appearing in the Cu-Pb-S-O specimen was attributed to the decrease in the amount of dissolved Pb and S in the copper matrix due to precipitation during heating at 600 °C. The addition of lead in the presence of oxygen was shown to decrease the solid solubilities of S in the copper matrix.     

A remote supervisory system based on subcarrier overmodulation forsubmarine optical amplifier systems

A supervisory (SV) signal transmission scheme for long haul optical amplifier systems is described. The scheme is based on subcarrier overmodulation of the line signal and features simple configuration; due to the use of EDFA gain modulation, no additive optical components are required in a submarine repeater to transmit a response signal. This paper discusses the subcarrier modulation index and frequency used for the SV signaling, the most significant design parameters. The dependence of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the modulation index in SV signal transmission is analyzed to clarify the modulation index value required for reliable SV signaling. In addition, the line signal impairment caused by subcarrier overmodulation is also analyzed to show the system's in-service feasibility. The subcarrier frequencies used for command and response signal transmission are discussed from the experimental results on the frequency response of an optical amplifier system and EDFA gain modulation efficiency     

Effects of lead on annealing properties of cold-drawn copper wire

Cold-drawn copper wires were made by cold-drawing after hot-rolling tough pitch copper rods which had been pre-heated at 673–973 K. The wires were annealed at 293–673 K to study their annealing properties. The effects of pre-heating the hot-rolled tough pitch copper rods, including lead, on the recrystallization behaviour of the cold-drawn copper wires were investigated by tensile tests, electrical resistivity measurements and structural observations. The half-softening temperature of annealed cold-drawn copper wires decreased when the hot-rolled copper rods were pre-heated at 873 K before cold-drawing. This behaviour was attributed to separation of lead dissolved in the copper matrix which is known to lower the half-softening temperature.     

Shielded magnetoresistive head for high density recording

The fabrication process and the head material properties for shielded magnetoresistive heads with planarized lower shields using a tri-layered MR element are described in detail. Applying the etch-back process with low molecular weight polystyrene and CF₄/O₂ reactive ion etching, the residual step height for a lower shield is dramatically decreased to less than 5% of the initial step height. The tri-layered MR element consists of an MR layer, a magnetic separation layer (MSL), and a soft adjacent layer (SAL). 40-nm thick Ni ₈₁Fe₁₉ (wt.%) films were deposited by evaporation for use as an MR layer. Evaporated Ti MSL thickness was experimentally determined to be 20 nm. Amorphous Co₈₂Zr₆Mo₁₂ SAL films exhibited preferable magnetic properties as an SAL material. The fabricated shielded MR heads, using the tri-layered MR element with these NiFe, Ti, and CoZrMo films, provide superior capability to realize high recording density     

Corrosion damage assessment method for steel guardrail post roots

Steel guardrail posts are typically used on the highway system of Japan, but these can experience the corrosion damage at their root near the road surface. This damage may be particularly severe in the seaside areas or regions that experience cold weather and employ salt as a deicing agent. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a non-destructive way of estimating the extent of corrosion in the guardrail post roots. Particularly, 11 test specimens were parametrically designed to investigate the efficiency of using the impact vibration mode to assess the corrosion damage. The corrosion angle, range and thickness at the post root were the main parameters. Meanwhile, a parametric FEM analysis was executed as well to analyze the vibration behavior, the stiffness and the load-carrying capacity. In general, the study reveals that the high-order vibration modes are sensitive to the corrosion damage at the guardrail post roots, and based on this, an impact vibration method for assessing the corrosion damage was proposed.     

Antihypertensive effect and safety of dietary alpha-linolenic acid in subjects with high-normal blood pressure and mild hypertension

We investigated the antihypertensive effect and safety of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in human subjects. In Experiment 1, subjects with high-normal blood pressure and mild hypertension ingested bread containing 14 g of common blended oil (control oil) or ALA-enriched oil for 12 weeks. The test oil contained 2.6g/14 g of ALA. The subjects ingested strictly controlled meals during the study period. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the ALA group than in the control group after ingestion of the test diet for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the ALA group than in the control group after ingestion of the test diet for 12 weeks. In Experiment 2, we evaluated the safety of high intake of ALA (7.8 g/d), particularly its effects on oxidation in the body and blood coagulation. Normotensive, high-normotensive and mildly hypertensive subjects ate bread that contained 42 g of the control oil or the test oil for 4 weeks. No significant difference was noted in the lipid peroxide level, high-sensitive C-reactive protein level, plasma prothrombin time or activated partial thromboplastin time between the two groups. No abnormal changes were noted after test diet ingestion on blood test or urinalysis, and no adverse event considered to have been induced by the test oil was observed in Experiment 1 and 2. These results suggest that ALA have an antihypertensive effect with no adverse effect in subjects with high-normal blood pressure and mild hypertension.     

CONFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF 2-(DIPHENYLPHOSPHANYL)-N,N-DIMETHYL-1-BENZ AMIDE AND 2-(DIPHENYLPHOSPHANYL)-PHENYL-PYRROLIDIN-1-YL-METHANONE BY NMR SPECTROSCOPY

We have synthesized 2-(Diphenylphosphanyl)-N, N-dimethyl-1-benzamide (1) and 2-(Diphenylphosphanyl)- phenyl-pyrrolidin-1-yl-methanone (2), and examined their conformations on the basis of NMR spectral data. Conformational analysis of the compounds is useful in deducing the structure in which they are active as a catalyst. In the present NMR measurements, ¹H-X fg-JHMBC (field gradient J-Resolved Hetero-nuclear Multiple-Bond Correlation) spectroscopy was implemented as a tool for the determination of hetero-nuclear three bond, phosphorus and protons and carbon-protons coupling constants. By fitting a sine curve to the experimental data by the method of 3D J-resolved HMBC NMR measurements, accurate ⁿ J _HX coupling constants were obtained. From the coupling constants, the corresponding dihedral angles, H3-C2-C3-P, H12-C12-C11-P, H16-C16-C11-P, H18-C18-C17-P, and H22-C22-C17-P, of compounds (1) and (2) were determined. The optimized structures of the compounds were obtained by molecular orbital calculations in which the dihedral angles experimentally determined were used.