Role of Metabolism in Bone Development and Homeostasis

Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the underlying energy sources for animals and are catabolized through specific biochemical cascades involving numerous enzymes. The catabolites and metabolites in these metabolic pathways are crucial for many cellular functions; therefore, an imbalance and/or dysregulation of these pathways causes cellular dysfunction, resulting in various metabolic diseases. Bone, a highly mineralized organ that serves as a skeleton of the body, undergoes continuous active turnover, which is required for the maintenance of healthy bony components through the deposition and resorption of bone matrix and minerals. This highly coordinated event is regulated throughout life by bone cells such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes, and requires synchronized activities from different metabolic pathways. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the cellular metabolism involved in bone development and homeostasis, as revealed by mouse genetic studies.     

InxGa1−xAs ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs with a tungsten nitride barrier

Significant reduction of the contact resistance of In_0.7Ga_0.3As/Ni/W contacts (which were previously developed by sputtering in our laboratory) was achieved by depositing a W₂N barrier layer between the Ni layer and W layer. The In_0.7Ga_0.3 As/Ni/W₂N/W contact prepared by the radio-frequency sputtering technique showed the lowest contact resistance of 0.2 Ωmm after annealing at 550°C for 10 s. This contact also provided a smooth surface, good reproducibility, and excellent thermal stability at 400°C. The polycrystalline W₂N layer was found to suppress the In diffusion to the contact surface, leading to improvement of the surface morphology and an increase in the total area of the In_xGa−As between metal and the GaAs substrate. These improvements are believed to reduce the contact resistance.     

The significance of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase for predicting early stage diabetic nephropathy

We studied urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) in the early stage of diabetic nephropathy in 27 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with a microalbumin level below 20 mg on 24-hour urine sample. Microalbumin and NAG excretion were measured in 24-hour urine samples collected on three separate occasions within seven days of admission. Creatinine clearance was determined simultaneously. There was a significant negative correlation between the creatinine clearance and 24-hour urinary NAG (r = -0.38, p < 0.05). Elevation of urinary NAG may indicate decreased renal function during early stage NIDDM nephropathy.     

Hot carrier magnetophonon spectroscopy of semiconductors in high magnetic fields up to 40 T

Hot carrier magnetophonon resonances of n-type Si, short channel InP and p-type InSb were investigated in pulsed high magnetic fields up to 40 T. Using a recently developed high resolution technique in pulsed high fields, many new features of the hot carrier-phonon interactions in high magnetic fields were found.     

BONDING OF CERAMICS TO METALS WITH ACTIVATED COATING LAYERS MADE BY PLASMA SPRAYING

Bonding of ceramics to metals was carried out by using thermal sprayed coatings as interlayer materials. This bonding method is referred as the thermal spray bonding. In the present study, Si₃N₄ and Al₂O₃ ceramics were bonded to SS41 mild steel using activated Ti-Cu multilayer coatings plasma-sprayed on the steel in a low pressure atmosphere. The bondability was estimated by SEM/EDX analysis and shear tests of the joints. The results were compared to those obtained using Ti-Cu multilayer foils as interlayers. When using Ti-Cu foils as interlayers, brittle Fe-Ti compound layers were formed in the joint area after long time heating at a bonding temperature of 900°C, which deteriorated the joint strength. In contrast with the activated interlayers made by plasma spraying, the Ti-Cu eutectic reaction took place uniformly at the joint immediately after heating to the bonding temperature. This improved the bondabilrty, and the resultant joints exhibited shear strengths of about 180 MPa.     

Comparative clinical study of adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy (5-FU, Tegafur, 5-FU + MMC) in curatively resected cases of gastric cancer. Study Group on 5-FU Oral Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer

A multi-center collaborative study was conducted in curatively resected gastric cancer patients at Stages II and III to compare oral 5-FU (Group A), oral Tegafur (Group B) and i.v. MMC + oral 5-FU (Group C). From May 1982 to April 1985, 1,012 cases were enrolled at 55 institutions. Some 138 (13.8%) were excluded, and 874 were analyzable. In the analysis of background factors, Group B had more cases with tumor of large diameter and advanced Stage. Adverse effects were relatively mild in all groups, and there was no problem in drug tolerance. Five-year survival rate was 67.6%, 62.4% and 68.6% in Groups A, B and C, respectively, reflecting no significant difference among them. It was 85.0%, 83.0% and 81.1% in Stage II and 52.5%, 51.0% and 59.0% in Stage III of Groups A, B and C, respectively. No significant difference was found, but Stage III of Group C showed a slightly higher survival rate. Supportive clinical study will be required to assess the usefulness of MMC as an introduction therapy. We found no difference in efficacy between 5-FU and Tegafur as maintenance therapy. The life-prolongation effect of fluoropyrimidines in comparison with surgery alone should be studied separately.     

Eight-channel flat spectral response arrayed-waveguide multiplexer with asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder filters

An eight-channel flat spectral response arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer with asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder filters has been fabricated on the planar lightwave circuit (PLC). The monotonic spectral loss characteristics of AWG have been canceled by the opposite spectral response in the asymmetric MZ filter. The 1.5 dB bandwidth of 141 GHz and 3 dB bandwidth of 159 GHz are obtained for the 200 GHz channel spacing. The 1.5 dB bandwidth becomes 1.8 times wider than that of the conventional AWG. Crosstalks to neighboring and all other channels are less than -24 dB and the on-chip insertion losses range from 7.0 to 7.4 dB, respectively.     

Formation of an amorphous phase in thermally sprayed WC-Co

A WC-Co coating was sprayed by the high-velocity oxyfuel process using a feedstock of tungsten carbide clad with cobalt. The structure of the sprayed coating was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and differential thermal analysis (DTA). It was found that an amorphous phase of Co-W-C ternary alloy observed as a large, broad peak in the XRD pattern can be formed in the as-sprayed WC-Co coating. The DSC, DTA, and XRD analyses revealed that the amorphous phase crystallized at a temperature of around 873 K to metallic cobalt, Co₆W₆C, and tungsten with appreciable precipitation of free carbon. The heat treatment of as-sprayed WC-Co coating at a high temperature of 1173 K suggests that annealing at a temperature higher than about 1104 K will promote the reaction of tungsten and cobalt with carbon to form the complex carbide C₀₆W₆C.     

Microstructural Analysis and Photocatalytic Activity of Plasma-Sprayed Titania-Hydroxyapatite Coatings

Hydroxyapatite (HAp Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) is known to be a biomaterial and an adsorbent for chromatography. In this study, HAp was agglomerated with anatase TiO₂ to manufacture thermal-spray powders to improve the adsorption activity of TiO₂, and then to improve its photocatalytic activity. The microstructures, compositions and photocatalytic activity of plasma-sprayed TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp, TiO₂-30%HAp, and HAp coatings were investigated. Due to the low thermal conductivity of HAp compound, not all HAp particles fully melted even under the arc current of 800 A. The addition of HAp inhibited the phase transformation of anatase TiO₂ to rutile. Under the arc current of 600 A, the anatase content in the TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings was 11, 20 and 42%, respectively. With the increasing of the spraying distance from 70 to 110 mm, the anatase content in the TiO₂-30%HAp coatings decreased from 34 to 17% under arc current of 700 A. Furthermore, a slight decomposition of HAp to α-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ was found in the TiO₂-30%HAp coatings, it did not decompose to CaO and P₂O₅ according to the XRD and EDAX analysis. The addition of the secondary gas of helium had no significant influence on the melting state of the TiO₂-HAp feedstock powders. Moreover, the HAp in the TiO₂-10%HAp and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings had adsorption characteristic to acetaldehyde. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂-10%HAp coating was highest among TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp, and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings sprayed under the arc current of 600 A for the optimum adsorption property and anatase content. This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference and has been expanded from the original presentation. It is simultaneously published in Global Coating Solutions, Proceedings of the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference, Beijing, China, May 14-16, 2007, Basil R. Marple, Margaret M. Hyland, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Chang-Jiu Li, Rogerio S. Lima, and Ghislain Montavon, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2007.     

Penetration treatment of plasma-sprayed ZrO2 coating by liquid Mn alloys

The penetration phenomena of liquid manganese (Mn) alloy into porous ZrO₂ (8 vvt % Y₂O₃) coating plasma sprayed on SS400 steel substrate was studied by heating in a vacuum atmosphere. The improvement in mechanical properties of the coating by heat treatment with liquid Mn alloys was examined. Liquid Mn alloys, such as Mn-Cu, Mn-Sn, and Mn-In, rapidly penetrated the coating and formed a chemical bond between the coating and the substrate. The densification of the ZrO₂ coating occurred when ZrO₂ particles were sintered with liquid Mn alloys that penetrated the porous coating. The dense coating was free of porosity, and its hardness increased after heat treatment with Mn alloys, compared with assprayed ZrO₂ coating. Moreover, the fracture toughness of the coating reached the same levels as those of sintered yttria-stabilized PSZ.