The Wiedemann Effect of the Magnetostriction Alloy "Alfer" at High Temperatures

The Wiedemann effect of "Alfer" (12.91 per cent Al-Fe alloy) was measured with the annealed specimen at high temperatures. As the temperature rises, the effect gradually decreases at the constant current through the specimen, and also the higher the temperature is, the weaker the field is for the maximum effect. When the current through the specimen as well as the longitudinal field is constant, the effect gradually decreases with the rise of temperature, and bcecomes extremely small at the magnetic transformation point of the Fe_3Al superlattice, and vanishes at the magnetic transformation point of α phase. The effect of Ni and Fe was measured to compare with that of Alfer. The temperature dependence of the effect of Ni is similar to that of Alfer, but that of Fe is different from both, that is, it gradually increases as the temperature rises, and after reaching a maximum at about 600℃, rapidly decreases, becoming zero at the magnetic transformation point

Evolution of fluoride shuttle battery reactions and three-dimensional morphology changes of BiF3 microparticles in an ethylene carbonate-based liquid electrolyte

Fluoride shuttle batteries (FSBs) use defluorination of metal fluorides and fluorination of metals, and they are considered as candidates of next-generation batteries with high energy densities. During FSB reactions of orthorhombic and cubic BiF₃ (o-BiF₃ and c-BiF₃, respectively) in an ethylene carbonate-based liquid electrolyte, in situ Raman mapping and in situ laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) for three-dimensional analysis were conducted almost simultaneously. As the potential of o-BiF₃vs. Pb (E[WE]) was decreased to 0.4 V, desorption of F− started at the protrusions of o-BiF₃ particles. After defluorination, E[WE] was increased to 0.6 V, and c-BiF₃ appeared at protrusions of the surfaces of Bi. However, at the surfaces where o-BiF₃ partially remained, o-BiF₃ grew rather than c-BiF₃. The apparent volumes of particles increased during defluorination and fluorination. The results are important for determining reaction mechanisms, and the results indicate the possibility of the use of ethylene carbonate-based liquid electrolytes

Cbl-b regulates macrophage activation

Aging and overnutrition cause obesity in rodents and humans. It is well-known that obesity causes various diseases by producing insulin resistance (IR). Macrophages infiltrate the adipose tissue (AT) of obese individuals and cause chronic low-level inflammation associated with IR. Macrophage infiltration is regulated by the chemokines that are released from hypertrophied adipocytes and the immune cells in AT. Saturated fatty acids are recognized by toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and induce inflammatory responses in AT macrophages (ATMs). The inflammatory cytokines that are released from activated ATMs promote IR in peripheral organs, such as the liver, skeletal muscle and AT. Therefore, ATM activation is a therapeutic target for IR in obesity. The ubiquitin ligase Casitas b-lineage lymphoma-b (Cbl-b) appears to potently suppress macrophage migration and activation. Cbl-b is highly expressed in leukocytes and negatively regulates signals associated with migration and activation. Cbl-b deficiency enhances ATM accumulation and IR in aging- and diet-induced obese mice. Cbl-b inhibits migration-related signals and SFA-induced TLR4 signaling in ATMs. Thus, targeting Cbl-b may be a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce the IR induced by ATM activation. In this review, we summarize the regulatory functions of Cbl-b in ATMs