Role of spheroidized carbides on the fatigue life of bearing steel

The fatigue characteristics of bearing steel in ultrasonic fatigue tests are investigated with regard to the role of spheroidized carbides. The results show that, despite a similar hardness level, the bearing steel with spheroidized carbide has a much longer fatigue life than steel without, and that the failure mechanism differs in each case. All the samples of SAQT-processed steel examined using ultrasonic fatigue tests were characterized by a conventional fish-eye structure, which implies they went through subsurface-originated or interior inclusion-induced failure. On the contrary, it was shown that surface-induced failure prevailed in the QT-processed steel without spheroidized carbide. The results suggest spheroidized carbide may strengthen the tempered martensitic matrix of the bearing steel and concentrate the stress around an inclusion rather than at the surface, allowing for prolonged fatigue life over the steel without spheroidized carbide.     

Duplex polymerase chain reaction method for detection of unapproved genetically modified tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) satellite RNA gene

The complete sequence of the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) satellite RNA (satRNA) gene that was controlled by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter (P-35S) and the Agrobacterium nopaline synthase terminator (T-nos) was first identified in an unapproved genetically modified (GM) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed based on the CMV satRNA nucleotide sequence. To detect the unapproved GM tomato, the metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (Mcpi) gene was selected as an endogenous reference gene for tomato and was validated using 13 different crops. The primer pair PTD-F/R was designed to amplify the junction sequences between the 35S promoter and CMV satRNA gene introduced in the unapproved GM tomato, and its specificity was also validated using several different GM events. The detection limit of the duplex PCR method is approximately 1 copy. Using the duplex PCR method, 35 processed tomato foods and 13 tomato seeds were analyzed. Of these samples, 2 GM tomato seeds were identified using the duplex PCR method. The results indicate that this duplex PCR method could be useful for detecting the unapproved GM tomato.     

Identification of novel IgE-binding soybean allergens using serological analysis of a recombinant cDNA expression library (SEREX)

New immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding proteins from soybean (Glycine max L.) were identified using serological analysis of a recombinant cDNA expression library (SEREX) derived from soybean seeds and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A soybean cDNA expression library was synthesized using the lambda ZAP express phage vector system and screened using sera of soybean-sensitive patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). A total of 3 new IgE-binding soybean proteins were identified as enolase, triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH). Full-length cDNAs were cloned into the expression vector pET15b, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant proteins were purified using affinity chromatography, followed by ELISA, with the sera of AD patients, resulting in positive reactions. The cDNA sequences were submitted to the GenBank Nucleotide Sequence Database with the accession numbers AY496909 (enolase), AY631048 (TPI), and AY496910 (MDH).     

Development of a new automatic fault diagnosis system for fine pattern transmission lines

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - This paper presents a new automatic fault diagnosis and detection system for fine pattern interconnects. It is verified by performance of...     

Effect of aluminizing treatment on the oxidation properties of 12Cr heat resisting steel

In order to investigate the effect of aluminization on the oxidation properties of 12Cr martensitic heat resisting steel, a specimen was prepared by forging after centrifugal casting. After aluminizing treatment under various conditions, scanning electron microscopy observation, and hardness, line profile and x-ray diffraction analysis of the alloy layer were performed. The results confirmed that the thickness of the layer of Al₁₃Fe₄, with a Vickers hardness of over 880, increased with increasing aluminizing temperature and time. Moreover, it was concluded from the results of the oxidation experiment that the oxidation properties of the aluminized specimen were improved by up to approximately 30 %.     

Rapid on-site detection of shrimp allergen tropomyosin using a novel ultrafast PCR system

Food Science and Biotechnology - Shrimp is seafood that can commonly trigger allergic reactions. In this study, the ultrafast real-time PCR assay with portable device was developed to detect a...     

Mechanoreceptor-Inspired Dynamic Mechanical Stimuli Perception based on Switchable Ionic Polarization

Diverse touch experiences offer a path toward greater human–machine interaction, which is essential for the development of haptic technology. Recent advances in triboelectricity-based touch sensors provide great advantages in terms of cost, simplicity of design, and use of a broader range of materials. Since performance solely relies on the level of contact electrification between materials, triboelectricity-based touch sensors cannot effectively be used to measure the extent of deformation of materials under a given mechanical force. Here, an ion-doped gelatin hydrogel (IGH)-based touch sensor is reported to identify not only contact with an object but also deformation under a certain level of force. Switchable ionic polarization of the gelatin hydrogel is found to be instrumental in allowing for different sensing mechanisms when it is contacted and deformed. The results show that ionic polarization relies on conductivity of the hydrogels. Quantitative studies using voltage sweeps demonstrate that higher ion mobility and shorter Debye length serve to improve the performance of the mechanical stimuli-perceptible sensor. It is successfully demonstrated that this sensor offers dynamic deformation-responsive signals that can be used to control the motion of a miniature car. This study broadens the potential applications for ionic hydrogel-based sensors in a human–machine communication system.     

Novel fabrication of an SnO(2) nanowire gas sensor with high sensitivity

We fabricated a nanowire-based gas sensor using a simple method of growing SnO(2) nanowires bridging the gap between two pre-patterned Au catalysts, in which the electrical contacts to the nanowires are self-assembled during the synthesis of the nanowires. The gas sensing capability of this network-structured gas sensor was demonstrated using a diluted NO(2). The sensitivity, as a function of temperature, was highest at 200?°C and was determined to be 18 and 180 when the NO(2) concentration was 0.5 and 5?ppm, respectively. Our sensor showed higher sensitivity compared to different types of sensors including SnO(2) powder-based thin films, SnO(2) coating on carbon nanotubes or single/multiple SnO(2) nanobelts. The enhanced sensitivity was attributed to the additional modulation of the sensor resistance due to the potential barrier at nanowire/nanowire junctions as well as the surface depletion region of each nanowire.     

A study on the laser curing of acrylic resin for the application in screen printing

For the development of an economic, automated, and computer-aided manufacturing process of screen for textile printing, photocuring of acrylic resin by an argon ion laser was studied. A commercially available polyurethane–acrylate resin was selected as a test resin for the representative study on laser curing behavior. The photoreaction by laser was observed by infrared spectroscopic analysis of vinyl group. With 1-W input power, the degree of curing increased linearly with exposure time, which reached, however, a plateau with exposure time of more than 4 μs. The curing reaction could be characterized in an S-shaped curve due to the combined effect of oxygen inhibition at lower power and photon saturation at higher power. The viscosity of acrylic resin could be controlled by addition of water as diluent without any significant drawback in curing speed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 515–520, 1999