Preparation of diamondlike carbon films using nanopulse generator employing SI thyristor

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) films show high hardness, high electric resistivity, and the self‐lubricant characteristic, and many applications and synthesis methods have been reported. Pulse plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the synthesis methods suitable for DLC films on complicated form work, such as molding and extruding die. Ordinary, microsecond‐order pulse is used in this method. This paper describes the development of the synthesis method using nanosecond‐order pulse plasma CVD for DLC films. To realize this process, a static induction (SI) thyristor with an inductive energy storage (IES) circuit was used. Compared with microsecond, nanosecond‐order pulse plasma CVD method shows the characteristics of high electron temperature and exponential relationship between pulse frequency and growth rate. The characteristics of the thus‐obtained DLC films show two broad peaks of the disordered band at 1360 cm^?1 and the graphitic band at 1580 cm^?1 by Raman spectroscopy and hardness of 16.0 GPa and elastic modulus of 170 GPa. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 159(4): 1–7, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20341     

Optimal periodic maintenance strategy under an intermittently used environment

In this paper, the optimal periodic replacement-like strategy with minimal repairs is considered under an intermittently used environment. Suppose that transactions or jobs with exponential service times arrive at a system according to a homogeneous Poisson process and the system is alternatively in either a busy or an idle period subject to demand for use. We derive approximately the optimal preventive maintenance schedule which minimizes the relevant expected cost criterion for the system which behaves intermittently on an M/M/1 queueing process, and compare it with the usual maintenance schedule for the continuously used system.     

Effects of cold rolling and annealing on the structure of γ″ precipitates in a Ni-18Cr-16Fe-5Nb-3Mo alloy

A Ni-18Cr-16Fe-5Nb-3Mo alloy (a modified alloy 718, referred to herein as 718M), in which the γ″ phase is the only precipitation-strengthening phase, was made by substituting most of the aluminum and titanium in INCONEL 718 with niobium. The specimens of alloy 718M were solid-solution heat treated, aged at 1033 to 1073 K for up to 360 ks, and cold rolled to a reduction of 10 to 15 pct at room temperature. After subsequent annealing heat treatments, at the same temperatures used for aging, the morphological and structural changes of the γ″ precipitates were investigated by transmission electron microscopic observation using carbon extraction replicas. Although stacking faults were not noticed in the γ″ precipitates extracted from the aged 718M alloy, stacking faults introduced in the {112} _γ″ planes by cold rolling of the samples were confirmed. The stripelike contrast due to the stacking faults becomes less clear with increasing annealing time. With longer annealing times, necking occurs between the stripes, which eventually separate into plural particles. The selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns of the cold-rolled and annealed particles show that the metastable γ″ precipitates with stacking faults are transformed gradually into a stable δ phase. In this article, we discuss the basis of morphological and structural changes in detail. INCONEL is a trademark of INCO Alloys International, Inc., Huntington, WV.     

A new choleretic effect of folinic acid

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In the chemotherapy of recurrent gastric cancer with 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid, an interesting phenomenon, the reduction of jaundice and improvement of liver function, was observed. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of this phenomenon, and to confirm a choleretic effect of folinic acid. METHODOLOGY: The bile duct of anesthetized rats was catheterized, and bile was collected. Bile volume and total bile acid production following intraperitoneal administration of folinic acid were determined and compared to those of control rats. RESULTS: Both bile volume and total bile acid production increased following intraabdominal administration of folinic acid. CONCLUSIONS: Folinic acid has a newly described pharmacologic effect of stimulating bile acid-dependent choleresis. It is possible that folinic acid may become a new drug for the treatment of jaundice or for the improvement of overall liver function.     

Genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P4502E1 related to the development of alcoholic liver disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Because heavy drinkers do not always develop alcoholic liver disease (ALD), genetic factors may be involved. Cytochrome P4502E1 is the main enzyme that oxidizes ethanol in the non-alcohol dehydrogenase pathway. Recently, the presence of genetic polymorphisms of this enzyme was confirmed. In the present study, the genotypes of P4502E1 were analyzed in patients with or without ALD. METHODS: After extraction of DNA from white blood cells, genotypes of P4502E1 were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms using two endonucleases. The genotypes were separated into three types: type A, type C (homozygous for the c1 or c2 gene), and type B (heterozygous for both genes). RESULTS: In 50 patients with ALD, the prevalence of type A was 16% and that of the c2 gene was 84%. The genotypes in 10 heavy drinkers without ALD were all type A. In 34 patients with non-alcoholic liver disease and in 88 patients without hepatobiliary disease, the prevalence of type A was 65% and 71%, respectively, indicating a significantly higher prevalence of the c2 gene in ALD. In healthy nonalcoholics, the prevalence of type A was 62%-68%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that polymorphisms of P4502E1 may be related to the development of ALD.     

Numerical simulation of tip leakage vortex effect on hydrogen-combustion flow around 3D turbine blade

In these years, a lot of environmental problems such as air pollution and exhaustion of fossil fuels have been discussed intensively. In our laboratory, a hydrogen-fueled propulsion system has been researched as an alternative to conventional systems. A hydrogen-fueled propulsion system is expected to have higher power, lighter weight and lower emissions. However, for the practical use, there exist many problems that must be overcome. Considering these backgrounds, jet engines with hydrogen-fueled combustion within a turbine blade passage have been studied. Although some studies have been made on injecting and burning hydrogen fuel from a stator surface, little is known about the interaction between a tip leakage vortex near the suction side of a rotor tip and hydrogen-fueled combustion. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of the tip leakage vortex on the characteristics of the 3-dimensional flow field with hydrogen-fueled combustion within a turbine blade passage. Reynolds-averaged compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with incorporating a k-ε turbulence and a reduced chemical mechanism models. Using the computational results, the 3-dimensional turbulent flow field with chemical reactions is numerically visualized, and the three-dimensional turbulent flow fields with hydrogen combustion and the structure of the tip leakage vortex are investigated.     

MC180295 Inhibited Epstein–Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Carcinoma Cell Growth by Suppressing DNA Repair and the Cell Cycle

DNA methylation of both viral and host DNA is one of the major mechanisms involved in the development of Epstein–Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC); thus, epigenetic treatment using demethylating agents would seem to be promising. We have verified the effect of {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295, which was discovered by screening for demethylating agents. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295 inhibited cell growth of the EBVaGC cell lines YCCEL1 and SNU719 in a dose-dependent manner. In a cell cycle analysis, growth arrest and apoptosis were observed in both YCCEL1 and SNU719 cells treated with {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295. MKN28 cells infected with EBV were sensitive to {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295 and showed more significant inhibition of cell growth compared to controls without EBV infection. Serial analysis of gene expression analysis showed the expression of genes belonging to the role of BRCA1 in DNA damage response and cell cycle control chromosomal replication to be significantly reduced after {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295 treatment. We confirmed with quantitative PCR that the expression levels of BRCA2, FANCM, RAD51, TOP2A, and CDC45 were significantly decreased by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295. LMP1 and BZLF1 are EBV genes with expression that is epigenetically regulated, and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295 could up-regulate their expression. In conclusion, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"MC180295","term_id":"1885105835","term_text":"MC180295"}}MC180295 inhibited the growth of EBVaGC cells by suppressing DNA repair and the cell cycle.