Development of a transparent single-grid-type micro-strip gas chamber based on LCD technology

The liquid crystal display (LCD) technology allows several simple circuits to be built using thin film transistors, thus making fabrication of compact, integrated, large-area, and low-cost micro-pattern gaseous detectors possible. In this work, a single-grid-type micro-strip gas chamber (S-MSGC) using transparent electrodes based on the LCD technology was fabricated and successfully operated in several gas mixtures. The detector was coupled with a multi-pixel photon counter to detect an optical signal through the transparent substrate in Ar/CF₄ gas. Both electrical and optical signals were measured and the light yield of the detector was acquired. Successful operation of the S-MSGC can be considered the very important first step for development of the next target of integrated devices.     

Gene Expression over Time during Cell Transformation Due to Non-Genotoxic Carcinogen Treatment of Bhas 42 Cells

The Bhas 42 cell transformation assay (Bhas 42 CTA) is the first Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-certificated method used as a specific tool for the detection of the cell-transformation potential of tumor-promoting compounds, including non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGTxCs), as separate from genotoxic carcinogens. This assay offers the great advantage of enabling the phenotypic detection of oncotransformation. A key benefit of using the Bhas 42 CTA in the study of the cell-transformation mechanisms of tumor-promoting compounds, including non-genotoxic carcinogens, is that the cell-transformation potential of the chemical can be detected directly without treatment with a tumor-initiating compound since Bhas 42 cell line was established by transfecting the v-Ha-ras gene into a mouse fibroblast cloned cell line. Here, we analyzed the gene expression over time, using DNA microarrays, in Bhas 42 cells treated with the tumor-promoting compound 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and NGTxC, with a total of three repeat experiments. This is the first paper to report on gene expression over time during the process of cell transformation with only a tumor-promoting compound. Pathways that were activated or inactivated during the process of cell transformation in the Bhas 42 cells treated with TPA were related not only directly to RAS but also to various pathways in the hallmarks of cancer.     

Ammonia production using iron nitride and water as hydrogen source under mild temperature and pressure

Ammonia generation was studied in the reaction between water and nitrogen-containing iron at 323 K and atmospheric pressure. Similar to metallic Fe, the interstitial compound Fe₃N reduced water through Fe oxidation to produce hydrogen gas, while the N combined with atomic hydrogen to produce ammonia as a byproduct. The addition of carbon dioxide to this system accelerated the reaction with concomitant consumption of carbon dioxide. The promoted ammonia production upon addition of carbon dioxide can be attributed to the generation of atomic hydrogen from the redox reaction of carbonic acid and Fe, as well as removal of used Fe from the reaction system through the formation of a soluble carbonato complex. When carbonate was added to the reaction system, the production rates of ammonia and hydrogen increased further. The results here confirmed that ammonia can be synthesized from iron nitride under mild conditions by utilizing carbon dioxide.     

All solid-state battery with sulfur electrode and thio-LISICON electrolyte

A high-capacity type of all solid-state battery was developed using sulfur electrode and the thio-LISICON electrolyte. New nano-composite of sulfur and acetylene black (AB) with an average particle size of 1–10 nm was fabricated by gas-phase mixing and showed a reversible capacity of 900 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.013 mA cm⁻².     

Fabrication of octacalcium phosphate block through a dissolution-precipitation reaction using a calcium sulphate hemihydrate block as a precursor

Although octacalcium phosphate (OCP) powder and a collagen/gelatin composite demonstrate good potential as bone substitutes, an OCP block has not been fabricated to date. In this study, the feasibility of fabricating an OCP block was evaluated through a dissolution-precipitation reaction using a calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) block as a precursor. When the block was immersed in a phosphate salt solution, its composition changed to that of OCP, while its structure was maintained. The diametral tensile strength (DTS) of the OCP block was 1.0?±?0.2?MPa. The macroporosity and microporosity of the OCP block were 33.4?±?4.5% and, 69.0?±?1.6%, respectively. New bone attached well to the OCP block, and this block was partially replaced by bone 2 weeks after implantation. Four weeks after implantation, the surface of the OCP block was nearly covered with new bone and ~30% of the block was replaced by new bone, while no replacement by bone was observed in the case of a hydroxyapatite (HAp) block used as a control. It is concluded that OCP blocks are potentially suitable for their use as artificial bone substitutes.     

Modeling of quantitative relationships between physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients and tensile strength of tablets using a boosted tree

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the potential of boosted tree (BT) to develop a correlation model between active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) characteristics and a tensile strength (TS) of tablets as critical quality attributes.

Methods: First, we evaluated 81 kinds of API characteristics, such as particle size distribution, bulk density, tapped density, Hausner ratio, moisture content, elastic recovery, molecular weight, and partition coefficient. Next, we prepared tablets containing 50% API, 49% microcrystalline cellulose, and 1% magnesium stearate using direct compression at 6, 8, and 10?kN, and measured TS. Then, we applied BT to our dataset to develop a correlation model. Finally, the constructed BT model was validated using k-fold cross-validation.

Results: Results showed that the BT model achieved high-performance statistics, whereas multiple regression analysis resulted in poor estimations. Sensitivity analysis of the BT model revealed that diameter of powder particles at the 10th percentile of the cumulative percentage size distribution was the most crucial factor for TS. In addition, the influences of moisture content, partition coefficients, and modal diameter were appreciably meaningful factors.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that BT model could provide comprehensive understanding of the latent structure underlying APIs and TS of tablets.     

Optimization of reinforcement layout of scissor‐type bridge using differential evolution algorithm

Scissors mechanisms are commonly used in safety engineering during the construction of temporary structures, owing to their inherent advantages of foldability, transformability, and reusability. We effectively utilized these scissors mechanism features to develop a lightweight, deployable emergency Mobile Bridge (MB) based on optimization, and control of the folding structure. Here, we discuss the problems of optimal reinforcement layout for the MB by formulating and solving three optimization problems, namely: (a) the load capacity maximization problem, (b) the weight minimization problem, and (c) coupling the load capacity maximization problem and the weight minimization problem. The potential benefits resulting from the application of reinforcement were evaluated using a combination of finite element analysis and an optimization algorithm based on the differential evolution method. The results demonstrate the significant positive influence of the additional reinforcing members. In particular, the limit load was increased by over 10 times, while the weight was decreased to approximately half. The proposed methodology enabled the development of a substantially improved version of the MB characterized by a higher load capacity and lower weight in comparison to the initial bridge design.