Urinary trypsin inhibitor reduces inflammatory response in kidney induced by lipopolysaccharide

Human urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), a serine protease inhibitor, has been widely used in Japan as a drug for patients with acute inflammatory disorders such as septic shock and pancreatitis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers the sepsis syndrome by activating monocytes to produce proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), which potently stimulate the activation of neutrophils. The inhibitory mechanism of UTI on the systemic inflammatory response induced by the intraperitoneal injection of LPS in the kidney is unclear. This study was undertaken to examine the inhibitory effects of UTI on renal injury associated with the systemic inflammatory response induced by LPS stimulation, with emphasis on systemic TNFalpha and the activation of neutrophils in rat kidney. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome was induced by LPS treatment. Serum and renal TNFalpha, renal cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, as well as renal function after LPS stimulation, were evaluated. UTI (50,000 U/kg) inhibited LPS-induced increases in the serum and renal tissue levels of TNFalpha, as well as the renal tissue levels of CINC-1 and MPO after LPS stimulation. UTI (50,000 U/kg) also inhibited the production of serum TNFalpha associated with the systemic inflammatory response syndrome induced by LPS stimulation, thereby attenuating neutrophil infiltration into renal tissues and subsequent neutrophil-mediated renal injury. These findings may have important implications in understanding the biologic functions of UTI. UTI may prove useful in protecting against acute renal injury associated with a systemic inflammatory response.     

Fracture toughness of weldlines in thermoplastic injection molding

Weldlines are fatal defects in many injection moldings of thermosetting resins and thermoplastics. Significant strength reduction by weldlines in thermoplastics is caused by poor adhesion, molecular orientation, and a V-notch effect. These factors have been little investigated in detail, in spite of being well known. In the present article, the V-notch effect on strength is discussed for two types of thermoplastics, polystyrene and polycarbonate. The depth of weldlines was obtained by milling on the weldline surface, and the fracture toughness was measured with a double edge notched specimen. Polystryrene, which was drastically weakened by weldlines, had relatively deeper V-notch regions and the fracture toughness was also reduced by weldlines. Although polycarbonate had the same fracture toughness as polystyrene, it had strong weldlines since the depth of weldlines was negligibly small.     

Fundamental Oscillation up to 1.42 THz in Resonant Tunneling Diodes by Optimized Collector Spacer Thickness

We report an increase in the oscillation frequency of terahertz oscillators using AlAs/InGaAs double-barrier resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) by optimizing the collector spacer thickness. For high-frequency oscillation of RTDs, the electron delay time, which is composed of the dwell time in the resonance region and the transit time in the collector depletion region, must be reduced. Although the transit time is reduced by a thin collector spacer, the capacitance increases. Thus, an optimum thickness of collector spacer layer exists. In this report, we investigate the dependence of oscillation frequency on the collector spacer thickness. The RTDs were integrated with 20-μm-long slot antennas, and oscillations up to 1.1, 1.42, and 1.29 THz were obtained for spacer thicknesses of 25, 12, and 6 nm, respectively. The optimum spacer thickness for high-frequency oscillation was around 12 nm. The highest frequency in this experiment was 1.42 THz oscillation, with an output power of ~1 μW. We also extracted the electron velocity in the collector depletion region and the dwell time from the dependence of the delay time on the collector spacer thickness.     

Heat transfer characteristics of the latent heat thermal energy storage capsule

The characteristic variation of the rate of heat transfer to and from a latent heat thermal energy storage capsule was investigated analytically and experimentally. Basic experiments were carried out to simulate a solar energy storage capsule, using a horizontal cylindrical capsule (300 mm length, 40 mm o.d.) filled with naphthalene as the phase change material. The variation of heat flux during the processes of heat storage and removal was measured by a heat flow meter wrapped around the capsule, as the capsule was subjected to stepwise variations of the surface temperature. Finite difference calculations based on heat conduction were also carried out to compare with the experimental results. For the heat removal process, the experimental results and the calculated heat flux agreed well with each other. They showed different characteristic trends for the heat storage process, due to the effects of natural convection.     

Combined convection heat transfer in a channel with two ribs attached to one wall

Two-dimensional calculations were performed for combined convection heat transfer in a channel with two ribs attached to one wall, following a previous study on the forced convection case without buoyancy. The flow is heated from the surfaces of both ribs and the present study dealt with the two cases of buoyancy-assisted flow and buoyancy-opposing flow. The effect of Reynolds number, Re_L, and modified Richardson number, Ri^*, was examined keeping the space between ribs, σ, and blockage ratio, τ, constant (σ = 3.0, τ = 0.5). Increasing the magnitude of buoyancy, unsteady flows predicted by the present calculations are stabilized in both cases. Serious deterioration of Nusselt number on the second rib suddenly occurs in a certain range of Ri^* due to the flow stabilization. This is because flow unsteadiness plays an important role for heat transfer enhancement as was described in a previous study. However, in buoyancy-assisted flow, a similar deterioration of Nusselt number also appears on the second rib even if flow remains steady. This is caused by the disappearance of a strong rotating flow which exists in the cavity between both ribs and keeps the fluid in the cavity cooler. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 28(5): 379–394, 1999     

Coal liquefaction by colloidal iron sulphide catalyst

Taiheiyo coal, which was treated with an aqueous solution of dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, adsorbed colloidal iron sulphide prepared from FeS0₄ · 7H₂O and Na₂S · 9H₂O in aqueous media. The adsorbed colloidal iron sulphide was much more effective as a catalyst for the liquefaction of the coal itself than the usual powder-type iron sulphide. Thus in differential thermal analysis under hydrogen, the coal with 0.35wt% adsorbed colloidal iron sulphide gave an exothermic peak at 401 °C, which was ≈20 °C lower than when using the powder-type iron sulphide. The coal was smoothly hydrogenated at 450 °C to give a yield of ≈60% liquid products.     

Bending properties of compression molded three-layer long fiber polypropylene composites

The results of studies on bending properties of three-layer long fiber polypropylene composites are presented. Thirteen samples with glass fibers of various lengths (i.e., 13, 25, 50 mm and continuous fiber length) in the laminates were prepared by stamping. Bending properties of shorter lengths exhibited a large scatter. On substitution of the middle layer with a continuous glass fiber the scatter was reduced. These results have been explained on the basis of flow models and X-ray shadowgraphs, which showed that both slippage flow and orientation of the glass fiber during stamping are the major phenomena responsible for the scatter.     

Hydrothermal effects on mechanically fastened glass/polypropylene composite joints

This study deals with the hydrothermal effects on mechanically fastened glass fiber mat/polypropylene composite joints with different joint geometry. Three kinds of joint geometries were adopted; hole diameter was 6 mm, the length from top edge to the hole center was 18 mm (3e) and the specimen width was 12 (2 w), 18 (3w), and 30 mm (5w). The joints were immersed in hot water at 60 and 80°C. The effect of water temperature on the failure load appeared clearly in 2w3e joints. The higher water temperature induced more strength reduction. The dominant failure mode changed from the net-tension to the bearing for the original dry joints for wider specimens. The failure mode changed from multiple to net-tension only for 3w3e joints, because of a remarkable tensile strength reduction. The failure strength and the failure mode were predicted by the macroscopic failure criterion, and the characteristic experimental curves, and the FEM analysis. The predicted results agreed with experiment.     

Influence of the impregnating property on mechanical properties of commingled yarn composites

Three types of glass/nylon 6 intermediate material forms-film stacking, uncommingled yarn, and commingled yarm-were selected study the correlations between the impregnating property and mechanical properties. The size of the glass fiber block to be filled with matrix and the porosity in glass fiber bundles by spearing out the fiber bundle was different in these materials. Unidirectional glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites were fabricated by compression molding. The being test was performed by using the three-point loading system, and the fracture behavior and the degree of impregnation were observed to examine the influence of processing conditions on the bending properties, relative to the form of the intermediate material. Bending strength increased, in accordance with the impregnating property, least in the film stacking form, second most in uncommingled yarn, and most in commingled yarn. The impregnating property was affected by the size of fiber blocks and the porosity in fiber bundles, because bending strength was improved by spreading out the fiber bundles. Commingled yarn is an excellent intermediate materials, which has both the fineness of matrix/fiber mixing and large porosity in fiber bundles.     

Degradation behavior of mechanically fastened joints of glass-reinforced crosslinked polyester immersed in hot water

This study deals with the degradation of mechanically-fastened GFRP joints immersed in hot water (80°C). The material used was randomly oriented E-glass fiber continuous strand mat with a crosslinked polyester. Three kinds of joint geometries were adopted; thickness was 3 mm, hole diameter was 6 mm, the distance from hole center to top-edge was 18 mm (3e), and specimen widths were 18 (3w), 30 (5w), and 42 mm (7w). Failure modes of original dry specimens were a function of joint geometry, The dominant failure mode of 3w3e joints was net-tension, whereas 5w3e and 7w3e joints displayed bearing failure. As degradation progressed, the dominant failure mode gradually shifted from net-tension to bearing failure. Strength reduction was marked in 5w3e and 7w3e joints, in which the dominant failure mode was bearing. Joint strength and failure mode were predicted from the combination of a macroscopic failure criterion and characteristic curves obtained from tensile testing of rectangular specimens with holes, bearing tests, and finite element analysis. Predictions agreed with experiment.