Determination of traction-separation laws on an acrylic adhesive under shear and tensile loading

Structural acrylic adhesives are of special interest because those adhesives are cured at room temperature and can be bonded to oily substrates. To use those adhesives widely for structural bonding, it is necessary to clarify the methodology for predicting strengths of bonding structures with those adhesives. Recently, cohesive zone models (CZMs) have been receiving intensive attentions for simulation of fracture strengths of adhesive joints, especially when bonded with ductile adhesives. The traction-separation laws under mode I and mode II loadings require to estimate fracture toughness of adhesively bonded joints. In this paper, the traction-separation laws of an acrylic adhesive in mode I and mode II were directly obtained from experiments using Arcan type adhesively bonded specimens. The traction-separation laws were determined by simultaneously recording the J-integral and the opening displacements in the directions normal and tangential to the adhesive layer, respectively.     

Multifunctional Hydrophobized Microparticles for Accelerated Wound Healing after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) provides strong therapeutic benefits for early gastrointestinal cancer as a minimally invasive treatment. However, there is currently no reliable treatment to prevent scar contracture resulting from ESD which may lead to cicatricial stricture. Herein, a multifunctional colloidal wound dressing to promote tissue regeneration after ESD is demonstrated. This sprayable wound dressing, composed of hydrophobized microparticles, exhibits the multifunctionality necessary for wound healing including tissue adhesiveness, blood coagulation, re‐epithelialization, angiogenesis, and controlled inflammation based on hydrophobic interaction with biological systems. An in vivo feasibility study using swine gastric ESD models reveals that this colloidal wound dressing suppresses fibrosis and accelerates wound healing. Multifunctional colloidal and sprayable wound dressings have an enormous therapeutic potential for use in a wide range of biomedical applications including accelerated wound healing after ESD, prevention of perforation, and the treatment of inflammatory diseases.     

Reduction of Ripple Current Loss by Electromagnetic Coupling of Air‐Core Reactors

To reduce the loss due to ripple current in a multiphase current‐reversible chopper, we investigated electromagnetic coupling of an air‐core reactor. We derived the relationship between the amplitude of the ripple current, the duty factor, and the electromagnetic coupling coefficient, and used the results to estimate the effects of electromagnetic coupling in the design of a train energy storage system. We built reactors with electromagnetic coupling coefficients of 0.93 and 0.60. These reactors employed a new winding structure that provides an optimal electromagnetic coupling coefficient. The mass of the former type of reactor was increased by 4.4% over the conventional design, and that of the latter type of reactor was decreased by 17%. Finally, we tested the new reactors. When the chopper employs the former type of reactor and operates with equal‐phase switching and cumulative coupling, the loss due to ripple current is decreased by 11%. When the chopper employs the latter type of reactor and operates with shift‐phase switching and differential coupling, the loss is decreased to 31%. The test showed that the calculated relationships agreed with the measured values.     

Additive effects of methyl ammonium bromide or formamidinium bromide in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells using decaphenylcyclopentasilane

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Fabrication and characterization of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells incorporated with methylammonium bromide (MABr),...     

Electron cyclotron resonance plasma production by using pulse mode microwaves and dependences of ion beam current and plasma parameters on the pulse condition

We measure the ion beam current and the plasma parameters by using the pulse mode microwave operation in the first stage of a tandem type ECRIS. The time averaged extracted ion beam current in the pulse mode operation is larger than that of the cw mode operation with the same averaged microwave power. The electron density n(e) in the pulse mode is higher and the electron temperature T(e) is lower than those of the cw mode operation. These plasma parameters are considered to cause in the increase of the ion beam current and are suitable to produce molecular or cluster ions.     

Reduction of thermal effects in a diode-end-pumped, composite Nd:YAG rod with a sapphire end

We present what is to our knowledge the first theoretical and experimental estimation of the thermal characteristics of a composite Nd:YAG rod with an Al(2)O(3) (sapphire) end in diode-end-pumped geometry. The peak temperature rise in the active segment is calculated to be reduced to 66% and the focal length of the thermal lens was measured to be reduced by 20% compared with a noncomposite Nd:YAG rod. By using a composite rod we successfully demonstrated the improvement of high-power performance that is due to reduction of thermally induced birefringence, which has not been observed in a composite rod with an undoped YAG end.     

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of concealed atrioventricular accessory pathways using a "simultaneous pacing method"

The retrograde atrial potential at a successful ablation site is usually obscured by the wide and large ventricular potential during atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia or ventricular pacing, which makes it difficult to determine the appropriate ablation site for a concealed accessory pathway. A pacing maneuver named the "simultaneous pacing method" is proposed herein to differentiate the retrograde atrial potential from the ventricular potential for a successful ablation of the concealed accessory pathway. Catheter ablation was performed in 12 patients with a single left free-wall concealed accessory pathway. The atrial insertion site was determined by the simultaneous pacing method in six patients (group I) and by ventricular pacing in six patients (group II). In the simultaneous pacing method, electrograms recorded during ventricular pacing in the earliest retrograde atrial activation site are a fusion of the ventricular potential and the following retrograde atrial potential. When atrial and ventricular pacings are performed simultaneously (simultaneous pacing), the end portion of the electrograms recorded at the same site is solely the ventricular component, because atrial is activated earlier. The atrial potential can be confirmed during ventricular pacing in comparison with the electrograms during the "simultaneous pacing." Radiofrequency catheter ablation was successful in eliminating conduction through the accessory pathway in all 12 patients. The radiofrequency applications in group I were significantly fewer than those in group II (1.7 +/- 1.0 in group I, 5.3 +/- 3.2 in group II, P < 0.05). The total procedure time in group I was significantly shorter than in group II (57.8 +/- 15.7 vs 106.7 +/- 41.6 mins in group II, respectively, P < 0.05). The fluoroscopy time in group I was significantly shorter than in group II (54.0 +/- 7.9 vs 81.3 +/- 26.3 mins, respectively, P < 0.05). We were able to determine the atrial insertion site of accessory pathways by the simultaneous pacing method. The simultaneous pacing method was useful in eliminating concealed left free-wall accessory pathways.     

Wetting behaviour of Y2O3/AlN additive on SiC ceramics

The wetting of SiC plate by Y₂O₃/AlN additive was analysed using the sessile drop method. The wetting behaviour was observed by image capture system using a CCD camera during the heating, in argon atmosphere. The contact angle was measured as a function of temperature and time. After the wetting test the SiC plus additive samples were cut in order to observe the thickness plate cross section. The additive area and the interface between SiC and additive were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The wetting of SiC by Y₂O₃/AlN is influenced by the presence of a solid phase in some of the additive drops that depends mainly on the additive composition and consequently on the temperature. The measured contact angles were below 7°, reaching 0° for Y₂O₃/AlN additive tested at the eutectic composition, indicating a very good wettability of Y₂O₃/AlN on the SiC.     

Energy value and digestibility of dietary oil containing mainly 1,3-diacylglycerol are similar to those of triacylglycerol

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a component of various vegetable oils. Approximately 70% of the DAG in edible oils are in the configuration of 1,3-DAG. We recently showed that long-term ingestion of dietary oil containing mainly 1,3-DAG reduces body fat accumulation in humans as compared to triacylglycerol (TAG) oil with a similar fatty acid composition. As the first step to elucidate the mechanism for this result, we examined the difference in the bioavailabilities of both oils by measuring food energy values and digestibilities in rats. Energy values of the DAG oil and the TAG oil, measured by bomb calorimeter, were 38.9 and 39.6 kJ/g, respectively. Apparent digestibility expressed according to the formula: (absorbed) x (ingested)⁻¹x100=(ingested—excreted in feces)x(ingested)⁻¹x100 for the DAG oil and the TAG oil were 96.3±0.4 and 96.3±0.3% (mean±SEM), respectively. The similarity in the bioavailabilities of both oils supports the hypothesis that the reduced fat accumulation by dietary DAG is caused by the different metabolic fates after the absorption into the gastrointestinal epithelial cells.