Performance evaluation of a visual management system for effective case transfer

Visual management (VM) has become an important management tool for the smooth management of global supply chains. The target of VM systems is to harmonise communication. For example, in the production sector, VM provides solutions for various issues such as the quick detection of an abnormal situation, continuous maintenance of a safe environment, prevention of an operation miss and knowledge sharing. However, the development of VM cases has been uncontrolled, which is considered problematic. A system for the strategic enhancement of VM is necessary. Recognising this need, this study presents a model for the performance evaluation of relevant cases and validates the utility of the model, which is the initial step in developing a strategic enhancement system for VM.     

Characteristics of hydrogen-assisted intergranular fatigue crack growth in interstitial-free steel: role of plastic strain localization

The behavior of intergranular fatigue crack growth in an interstitial-free (IF) steel in a hydrogen environment was investigated at different frequencies. Focusing on the plastic strain localization, we observed details of the striation-like feature on the intergranular fracture surface, slip behavior around microvoids, and crystallographic orientation gradient underneath the fracture surface. It was determined that the intergranular fatigue crack growth mechanism in the IF steel is microvoid formation at the crack tip and subsequent coalescence with the crack. Moreover, it was found that the grain boundaries, acting as propagation paths, suffer from pre-damage arising from plastic strain localization near the grain boundaries even before the main crack propagates to a certain location. Therefore, fatigue cracks in a hydrogen environment easily propagate to the grain boundaries. The frequency dependence of fatigue crack growth in the hydrogen environment is significantly smaller than that in a low carbon steel, probably because of the frequency dependence of the pre-damage evolution behavior.     

Detection of lumen-intima interface of posterior wall for measurement of elasticity of the human carotid artery

In our series of studies on noninvasive assessment of the regional elasticity of the arterial wall, the displacement gradient (change in thickness) of the arterial wall caused by the heartbeat was measured by the phased tracking method. Because the displacement gradient corresponds to the strain due to the change in blood pressure, the elasticity can be evaluated from the displacement gradient of the arterial wall and the blood pressure, which are noninvasively measured at the upper arm. In the measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall by our method, the region in which the elastic modulus is estimated must be assigned beforehand; currently, the lumen-intima boundary of the arterial wall is manually determined by the operator. For the real-time measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall, a fast, automated method is necessary for detection of the boundary. In this paper, a cost function is proposed for differentiation of the arterial wall from the lumen. The proposed cost function was applied to ultrasound data, which were noninvasively obtained for five human carotid arteries. In comparison with the case of detection using only the amplitude of the echo, the root mean square error between the automatically detected lumen-intima boundary and the manually assigned boundary was significantly improved by using the proposed cost function. Furthermore, the lumen- intima boundary was automatically detected in a short period. Such a method is required for real-time measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall, though detection of the outer boundary of the adventitia, which is not described in this paper, is also necessary to realize real-time elasticity measurement by our method.     

Simple and comprehensive two-dimensional reversed-phase HPLC using monolithic silica columns

Simple and comprehensive two-dimensional (2D)-HPLC was studied in a reversed-phase mode using monolithic silica columns for second-dimension (2nd-D) separation. Every fraction from the first column, 15 cm long (4.6-mm i.d.), packed with fluoroalkylsilyl-bonded (FR) silica particles, was subjected to the separation in the 2nd-D using one or two octadecylsilylated (C(18)) monolithic silica columns (4.6-mm i.d., 3 cm). Monolithic silica columns in the 2nd-D were eluted at a flow rate of up to 10 mL/min with separation time of 30 s that meets the fractionation every 15-30 s at the first dimension (1st-D) operated at a flow rate of 0.4-0.8 mL/min. Three cases were studied. (1) In the simplest scheme of 2D-HPLC, effluent of the 1st-D was directly loaded into an injector loop of 2nd-D HPLC for 28 s, and 2 s was allowed for injection. (2) Two six-port valves each having a sample loop were used to hold the effluent of the 1st-D alternately for 30 s for one 2nd-D column to effect comprehensive 2D-HPLC without the loss of 1st-D effluent. (3) Two monolithic silica columns were used for 2nd-D by using a switching valve and two sets of 2nd-D chromatographs separating each fraction of the 1st-D effluent with the two 2nd-D columns alternately. In this case, two columns of the same stationary phase (C(18)) or different phases, C(18) and (pentabromobenzyloxy)propylsilyl-bonded (PBB), could be employed at the 2nd-D, although the latter needed two complementary runs. The systems produced peak capacity of approximately 1000 in approximately 60 min in cases 1 and 2 and in approximately 30 min in case 3. The three stationary phases, FR, C(18), and PBB, showed widely different selectivity from each other, making 2D separations possible. The simple and comprehensive 2D-HPLC utilizes the stability and high efficiency at high linear velocities of monolithic silica columns.     

Photosensitizing Metasurface Empowered by Enhanced Magnetic Field of Toroidal Dipole Resonance

Photochemical reaction exploiting an excited triplet state (T₁) of a molecule requires two steps for the excitation, i.e., electronic transition from the ground (S₀) to singlet excited (S₁) states and intersystem crossing to the T₁ state. A dielectric metasurface coupled with photosensitizer that enables energy efficient photochemical reaction via the enhanced S₀→T₁ magnetic dipole transition is developed. In the direct S₀→T₁ transition, the photon energy of several hundreds of meV is saved compared to the conventional S₀→ S₁→T₁ transition. To maximize the magnetic field intensity on the surface, a silicon (Si) nanodisk array metasurface with toroidal dipole resonances is designed. The surface of the metasurface is functionalized with ruthenium (Ru(II)) complexes that work as a photosensitizer for singlet oxygen generation. In the coupled system, the rate of the direct S₀→T₁ transition of Ru(II) complexes is 41-fold enhanced at the toroidal dipole resonance of a Si nanodisk array. The enhancement of a singlet oxygen generation rate is observed when the toroidal dipole resonance of a Si nanodisk array is matched with the direct S₀→T₁ transition wavelength of Ru(II) complexes.     

On-chip cell sorting system using laser-induced heating of a thermoreversible gelation polymer to control flow

We have developed a microfabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorter system using a thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP) as a switching valve. The glass sorter chip has Y-shaped microchannels with one inlet and two outlets. A biological specimen containing fluorescently labeled cells is mixed with a solution containing a thermoreversible sol-gel polymer. The mixed solution is then introduced into the sorter chip through the inlet. The sol-gel transformation was locally induced by site-directed infrared laser irradiation to plug one of the outlets. The fluorescently labeled target cells were detected with sensitive fluorescence microscopy. In the absence of a fluorescence signal, the collection channel is plugged through laser irradiation of the TGP and the specimens are directed to the waste channel. Upon detection of a fluorescence signal from the target cells, the laser beam is then used to plug the waste channel, allowing the fluorescent cells to be channeled into the collection reservoir. The response time of the sol-gel transformation was 3 ms, and a flow switching time of 120 ms was achieved. Using this system, we have demonstrated the sorting of fluorescent microspheres and Escherichia coli cells expressing fluorescent proteins. These cells were found to be viable after extraction from the sorting system, indicating no damage to the cells.     

Improving an immunoassay response to related polychlorinated biphenyl analytes by mixing antibodies

Immunoassays for detection of a class of closely related antigens, e.g., PCBs, have often been too specific (responding strongly to some members of the class and missing others) and no general method for adjusting the response has been described. In this paper, the difference in the response of a model immunoassay to different Kanechlors (Japanese commercial mixtures of PCBs, analogous to Aroclors in the United States) is reduced from 20- or 50-fold (depending on which antibody is used) to 3-fold when the antibodies are mixed at the proper ratio. A mathematical model based on competitive binding of two antibodies for up to four antigens has been developed and used to describe the assay performance and to predict optimum mix ratios for the antibodies used. The model (based on separate measurement of each antibody's effective Kd for each Kanechlor) provides an excellent fit to the measured mixed antibody assay response. The model is also successful in identifying cases where mixing monoclonal antibodies will not improve the response. It is thought the method described will have applicability in a variety of cases where the analytical goal is semiquantitative screening based on the total quantity of an unknown mixture of related compounds.     

Room-temperature miscibility gap in LixFePO4

The rechargeable lithium-ion cell is an advanced energy-storage system. However, high cost, safety hazards, and chemical instability prohibit its use in large-scale applications. An alternative cathode material, LiFePO(4), solves these problems, but has a kinetic problem involving strong electron/hole localization. One reason for this is believed to be the limited carrier density in the fixed monovalent Fe(3+)PO(4)/LiFe(2+)PO(4) two-phase electrode reaction in LixFePO4. Here, we provide experimental evidence that LixFePO4, at room temperature, can be described as a mixture of the Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) mixed-valent intermediate LialphaFePO4 and Li1-betaFePO4 phases. Using powder neutron diffraction, the site occupancy numbers for lithium in each phase were refined to be alpha=0.05 and 1-beta=0.89. The corresponding solid solution ranges outside the miscibility gap (0相似文献   

The Uncertainty in SCHF‐DT Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Lotus‐Type Porous Copper

Lotus‐type porous metals with many straight pores are attractive for use as heat‐sinks because a large heat‐transfer capacity can be obtained, due to the small diameter of the pores. In order to use lotus‐type porous copper effectively as a heat sink, it is important to know the effective thermal conductivity considering the effect of pores on heat conduction in the material. Since these metals have anisotropic pores, a steady‐state comparative longitudinal heat‐flow method for measuring thermal conductivity, referring to an ASTM standard, is better than other methods. So far, the effective thermal conductivity of lotus‐type porous copper has been measured by using specimens of different thickness (the SCHF‐DT method). In this paper, the uncertainty in the effective thermal conductivity of a specimen measured using this method was evaluated by comparison between numerical analysis and current experimental data. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) The uncertainty showed good agreement with the uncertainty analysis; 2) The contribution of the thermal grease thickness was large, based on a combined standard uncertainty analysis; and, 3) The effective thermal conductivity perpendicular to the pores of lotus copper can be measured within 10% uncertainty by this method.     

Environmental effect on mechanical properties of recrystallized L12-type Ni3(Si,Ti) intermetallics

The environmental effect on the mechanical properties of boron-doped and undoped Ni₃(Si, Ti) polycrystals was investigated by tensile testing in air from room temperature to 1073 K, and the results were compared with those obtained previously by tensile testing in vacuum. The environmental effect for the Ni₃(Si, Ti) alloys was significant at ambient temperatures whereas that for the boron-doped Ni₃(Si, Ti) alloys was considerable at elevated temperatures. When these samples at associated temperatures were tensile tested in air and also at low strain rate, intergranular fracture was dominant. It was suggested that the environmental embrittlements at low and high temperatures were due to hydrogen and oxygen absorbed from the air, respectively, and were caused by the weakening of the grain-boundary cohesion. It was proposed that boron competing with hydrogen, for site occupation or for its effectiveness at grain boundaries, has the effect of suppressing hydrogen embrittlement, whereas it was suggested that the low-melting phases, consisting of boron and oxygen (and/or constituent atoms), may be responsible for the ductility loss in the boron-doped Ni₃(Si, Ti) alloys.