FATIGUE LIFE AND SURFACE CRACK PENETRATION BEHAVIOUR OF AN ALUMINIUM ALLOY

Fatigue life and crack retardation behaviour after penetration were examined experimentally using CT specimens and surface pre-cracked specimens of aluminium alloy 5083-0. The fatigue crack shape before penetration is almost semicircular, and the measured aspect ratio is larger than the value obtained by calculation using K values proposed by Newman-Raju. It was found that crack growth behaviour on the back side after penetration is unique, and can be divided into three stages. The Wheeler model retardation parameter was used successfully to predict crack growth behaviour after penetration. By using a crack propagation rule, the change in crack shape after penetration can be evaluated quantitatively.     

Macrocytic anemia with anisocytosis due to alcohol abuse and vitamin B6 deficiency

The effect of the choice of maternal age-specific prevalence curve on the model predicted Down syndrome detection rate was examined. All 19 published regression curves from 11 birth prevalence series in four meta-analyses were included. The detection rate for a five per cent false-positive rate was estimated for three combinations of markers. For free beta human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein the lowest predicted detection rate was 62.3 per cent and the highest 64.1 per cent, a range of 1.8 per cent. When unconjugated oestriol was added as a third marker it was 65.6-67.3 per cent, a 1.7 per cent range, and when inhibin A was the fourth marker the detection rate was 72.0-73.4 per cent, a 1.4 per cent range. The number of series included in the regression had the biggest effect: when the authors had used a subset thought to have the highest ascertainment the predicted detection rate generally increased. The type of regression equation used and restrictions on the age range over which the regression was performed were less important factors. The effect of the choice of curve on the predicted increase in detection achieved by incorporating additional markers was relatively small: 3.1-3.3 per cent for unconjugated oestriol and a further 6.1-6.5 per cent for inhibin A. This analysis shows that the model inaccuracy caused by the maternal age curve is not small but is unlikely to be large enough to influence Down syndrome screening policy decisions.     

Oxygen permeability of calcia-stabilized zirconia

Oxygen permeability of commercial calcia-stabilized zirconia has been measured at 1673 to 1823 K by the following cell; O₂ ZrO₂(CaO) N₂ - O₂ (P’tO₂ = 1 atm) solid electrolyte (P″O₂ = 0.39 - 10^10-3 atm). Oxygen permeability of calcia-stabilized zirconia is proportional to (1 - P″O₂ ^1/4). From the permeability measurement, the conduction properties of the electrolyte were log σ-_‡ ^b+ = 0.28- 5100/T and logP_b+ =-0.87 + 15,400/T where σ-_‡ ^b+ is the t-@#@ type electronic conductivity at P_{O 2} = 1 atm, and P_b+ is the oxygen activity at which the t-@#@ type electronic conductivity and the ionic conductivity are equal.     

The evolution of neurophysiological features in holoprosencephaly

The evolution of EEG, visual and auditory evoked responses (VER and AER) and sleep is described in three cases of semilobar holoprosencephaly. During the neonatal period, the waking EEG was characterized by almost continuous high amplitude rhythmic alpha-theta activity in case 1 and 2, which became discontinuous during quiet sleep. Moderate amplitude rhythmic alpha-theta waves were seen in case 3. This rhythmic alpha-theta activity gradually disappeared with increasing age, being replaced by non-specific slow dysrhythmia. In case 3, the subsequent EEGs were characterized by focal spikes at 4 months, multifocal spikes at 5 and 6 months, hypsarrhythmia at 8 months and bisynchronous diffuse sharp and slow wave discharges at 2 years and 7 months. Ictal EEGs were characterized by desynchronization and/or rapid synchronization, epileptic recruiting rhythm and postical high amplitude slow waves. Definite but mostly abnormal VERs or AERs were obtained in all three cases. In two cases, the evoked responses showed a progressive decrease in amplitude and VERs were abolished finally. No sleep cycle could be identified during the neonatal period probably because of frequent seizures. In two cases no circadian rhythm of sleep developed, although almost normal REM-NREM sleep cycle was present.     

Ion irradiation effects in EuBa2Cu3Oy thin film

The effect of He ion irradiation on the pinning potential in EuBa₂Cu₃O _y , thin film was investigated by measuring the temperature dependence of resistivity in magnetic fields. The pinning potential decreased as the ion fluence increased. A slower decrease of pinning potential was observed in higher magnetic field in the fluence region <3.5×10¹⁵ cm^–2.     

Vitamin E and coenzyme Q concentrations in the thyroid tissues of patients with various thyroid disorders

Chylous fistula complicates 1.1% of all radical neck dissections, and 2.4% of left-sided dissections. The standard treatment of established chylous leak in the reported cases is a pressure dressing applied to the lower neck. Here we present a case of chylous fistula, where conservative methods failed to cope with this complication. The additional application of a fibrin adhesive set was a successful modality of treatment.     

Time course of ethylene thiourea in maternal plasma, amniotic fluid and embryos in rats following single oral dosing

Ethylene thiourea (ETU) was administered once orally to pregnant rats on gestation day 12 at a dose of 200 mg/kg, and its concentration-time courses in the maternal plasma, amniotic fluid and embryos were investigated. The ETU concentrations in the maternal plasma and amniotic fluid reached the peak level about 2 hr after dosing, then declined gradually and had disappeared by 48 hr. In embryos, the concentration of ETU peaked at 30 min after dosing and disappeared at 48 hr. The prolonged exposure of the embryos to the high concentration of ETU in the amniotic fluid could be partially responsible for the teratogenic effect of ETU.     

Vitamin K2 selectively induces apoptosis of blastic cells in myelodysplastic syndrome: flow cytometric detection of apoptotic cells using APO2.7 monoclonal antibody

We have previously reported that vitamin K2 (VK2) but not VK1 has a potent apoptosis-inducing effect on freshly isolated leukemia cells from patients with various types of leukemia. By multi-color flow cytometric analysis using monoclonal antibody (mAb), APO2.7, which detects mitochondrial 7A6 antigen specifically expressed by cells undergoing apoptosis, we further investigated the apoptosis-inducing effect of VK2 on minor populations of leukemic blast cells in bone marrow from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and overt myeloid leukemia (post-MDS AML). Limiting dilution of CD95 (anti-Fas) mAb-treated apoptotic Jurkat cells with nonapoptotic CTB-1 cells revealed that APO2.7-positive Jurkat cells were consistently detectable by flow cytometry when present at levels of at least 5% in the CTB-1 suspension. In patient samples the gating area for leukemic clone was determined using cell surface antigen-specific mAbs conjugated with either fluorescein isothionate (FITC) or phycoerythrin (PE) and subsequently the cells stained with phycoerythrin cyanine (PE-Cy5)-conjugated APO2.7 mAb were assessed within the gating area of the leukemic clone for monitoring apoptosis. Treatment of the bone marrow mononuclear cells with 3-10 microM of VK2 (menaquinone-3, -4 and -5) in vitro potently induced apoptosis of the leukemic blast cells as compared with the untreated control cells in all 15 MDS patients tested. This effect was more prominent on blastic cells than that on mature myeloid cells such as CD34-/CD33+ gated cells. In addition, VK2 performed much less effectively on CD3-positive lymphoid cells. In contrast to VK2, VK1 did not show apoptosis-inducing activity. These data suggest that VK2 may be used for treatment of patients with MDS in blastic transformation.     

Small turn-on delay time in 1.3 μm InAsP/InP strained doublequantum-well lasers with very-low threshold current

It is demonstrated for the first time that compressively strained InAsP/InP double quantum-well (DQW) lasers emitting at 1.3 μm performed a very small turn-on delay time by a significant reduction in threshold current. Lasers with 200 μm cavity length and high reflection coating achieved both very low threshold current of 1.8 mA and a small turn-on delay time (200 ps) even under a bias-less 30 mA pulse current. An additional power penalty was simulated, and it was shown that these small-delay and low-threshold performances are suitable for high-speed optical parallel data transmitters in computer networks     

Activities of titanium in molten copper at dilute concentrations measured by solid- state electrochemical cells at 1373 K

In order to obtain the activities of titanium in molten copper at dilute concentrations,i.e., between 5 x 10^-6 and 3.4 x 10^-3 titanium mole fractions, liquid copper was brought into equilibrium with molten {CaCl₂ + Ti₂O₃} slag saturated with Ti₂O₃ (s) at 1373 K and the equilibrium oxygen partial pressures were measured by means of a solid-oxide galvanic cell of the type Mo/Mo + MoO₂/ZrO₂(MgO)/(Cu + Ti)_alloy + Ti₂O₃ + CaCl₂ + Ti₂O_{3 slag}/Mo The free energy change for the dissolution of solid titanium in molten copper at infinite dilution referred to 1 wt pet was determined as Ti (s) = Ti(1 wt pet in Cu) ΔG°/J = -86,100 ± 8900 at 1373 K