Fabrication of Roughened Electrodeposited Copper Coating on Steel for Dissimilar Joining of Steel and Thermoplastic Resin

Metals. 11(4), 591 (2021)journal articl

Superior Durability of Dissimilar Material Joint between Steel and Thermoplastic Resin with Roughened Electrodeposited Nickel Interlayer

The durability of the dissimilar material joint between a steel coated with a roughened nickel plating-film and a thermoplastic resin is assessed. The roughened nickel film is fabricated by electrodeposition using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the roughening agent and a polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) resin as the thermoplastic resin. The plated steel and PPS resin are joined by injection molding without adhesive. The bonding strength is determined by a tensile lap shear strength test during the durability tests that includes a high-temperature and high-humidity test (85 +/- 2 degrees C, 85 +/- 2% relative humidity; 0-2000 h) and a thermal shock test (-50 degrees C-150 degrees C; 0-1000 cycles). During the high-temperature and high-humidity test, the bonding samples maintain their initial bonding strength (>40 MPa) even after 2000 h. By contrast, during the thermal shock test, although the bonding strength gradually decreases with increasing number of cycles, it remains above 20 MPa even after 1000 cycles. The mechanism of the deterioration of the bonding strength during the thermal shock test is analyzed in detail. The present joining method, which uses a roughened plating film as an interlayer, offers a way to achieve not only high initial bonding strength but also bonding durability for dissimilar material joining between steels and resins.ArticleADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS. 22(12):2000739 (2020)journal articl

Usefulness of Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in a Patient With Takayasu\u27s Arteritis Associated With Antiphospholipid Syndrome

A 36-year-old woman was admitted for recurring chest pain and hemoptysis. Blood pressure in the right and left arms was equal, and no murmurs or bruits were heard. Body temperature was normal on admission and remained within the normal range during the hospital stay. C-reactive protein was slightly elevated (2.3 mg/dL) and lupus anticoagulant was positive. Angiography showed no abnormality of the aorta or its branches, but the left pulmonary artery showed occlusion at the proximal portion. Computed tomography (CT) revealed segmental wall thickening of the thoracic aorta. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG PET) showed high uptake in the proximal portion of the left pulmonary artery and in the thoracic aorta with wall thickening on CT. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of Takayasu\u27s arteritis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome was made and high-dose steroid therapy (prednisolone 30 mg/day) was started. Two months later, the C-reactive protein level had decreased from 2.3 mg/dL to 1.1 mg/dL, and both the focal wall thickening and 18FDG uptake of the thoracic aorta were decreased. 18FDG PET was useful for evaluating the efficacy of the steroid therapy in addition to making a diagnosis of Takayasu\u27s arteritis associated with antiphospholipid syndrome

Microvascular Ischemia in Patients With Myotonic Dystrophy

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科Two women with myotonic dystrophy underwent dipyridamole thallium-201 (201Tl) myocardial perfusion imaging, after which one patient developed fiat T waves in lead I and aVL, and inverted T waves in leads V2-6. The other patient developed a nonspecific intraventricular block that progressed to complete left bundle branch block and was associated with chest discomfort. Reversible scintigraphic defects were observed in both women. Although there was evidence that suggested myocardial ischemia on the ECG changes and 201Tl scintigraphic findings, coronary angiography demonstrated no significant stenoses in either patient. These findings suggest that microvascular dysfunction may lead to myocardial ischemia and conduction disturbances in patients with myotonic dystrophy

Increased Circulating Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Systolic Dysfunction

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科　Background: Some patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) develop left ventricular (LV) wall thinning associated with LV dilatation and systolic dysfunction. Recently, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPS) were reported to be involved in ventricular remodeling, however, little is known about MMPs and TIMPs in patients with HCM. Methods and Results: Enzyme-linked immunoassays were used to measure the plasma concentrations of MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in 11 patients with HCM accompanied by systolic dysfunction (fractional shortening (FS) <25%, group A), 17 patients with HCM who had preserved systolic function (FS ≥25%, group B), and 50 age-matched clinically healthy control subjects (mean age: 57 years). The concentration of MMP-2 in group A was significantly higher than in group B and the control subjects (1,124±84, 792±49, 809+26 ng/ml, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference between group B and the control subjects. MMP-2 concentrations significantly increased as the New York Heart Association functional class increased in patients with HCM. TIMP-2 was also significantly higher in group A patients than in group B and the control subjects (45.3±4.7, 34.6±2.2, 33.7±1.8 ng/ml, respectively), but there was no difference between group B and control subjects. TIMP-1 was significantly higher in HCM patients than in control subjects. MMP-3 and MMP-9 concentrations did not differ among the 3 groups. Both MMP-2 and TIMP-2 correlated significantly with FS and LV dimension, negatively and positively, respectively. Conclusions: These results suggest that changes in the release and activity of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 may be associated with the mechanisms responsible for cardiac remodeling in patients with HCM

APMP L-K4 Key Comparison, Calibration of diameter standards

A regional key comparison, APMP.L-K4, was held in 2008. To demonstrate the equivalence of routine calibration services offered by NMIs to clients, participants in this APMP.L-K4 comparison agreed to use the same apparatus and methods as routinely applied to client gauges. There are 14 laboratories from NMIs involved this key comparison, which included CMS/ITRI, NMIJ/AIST, NPL-I, NIMT, Puslit KIM-LIPI, NMISA, MSL, NMIA, NML-SIRIM, VMI, KRISS, SCL, NMC/A*STAR and NSCL. This report describes the measurement results of five diameter standards including two rings and three plugs. The calibrations of this key comparison were carried out by laboratories during the period from May 2008 to November 2010. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCL, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA