Synthesis and Properties of Polysilsesquioxanes Having Ethoxysulfonyl Group as a Side Chain

Polysilsesquioxane having an ethoxysulfonyl group as a side chain was synthesized to prepare a proton-conductive film composed of a main chain of siloxane. At first, sodium 4-(2-methylallyloxy)benzenesulfonate was chlorinated with thionyl chloride. Next, hydrosilylation with trichlorosilane was carried out in the presence of platinum catalyst followed by treatment with ethanol. Finally, the hydrolytic polycondensation was carried out to provide poly(3-(4-ethoxysulfonylphenoxy)-2-methylpropyl)silsesquioxane. This polysilsesquioxane was heated to form a free-standing film that was brittle and brown in color

Non-destructive high-throughput measurement of elastic-viscous properties of maize using a novel ultra-micro sensor array and numerical validation

振動工学と農学の融合により、倒れにくい飼料トウモロコシの迅速選抜手法を開発. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-04-27.Maize is the world's most produced cereal crop, and the selection of maize cultivars with a high stem elastic modulus is an effective method to prevent cereal crop lodging. We developed an ultra-compact sensor array inspired by earthquake engineering and proposed a method for the high-throughput evaluation of the elastic modulus of maize cultivars. A natural vibration analysis based on the obtained Young’s modulus using finite element analysis (FEA) was performed and compared with the experimental results, which showed that the estimated Young’s modulus is representative of the individual Young’s modulus. FEA also showed the hotspot where the stalk was most deformed when the corn was vibrated by wind. The six tested cultivars were divided into two phenotypic groups based on the position and number of hotspots. In this study, we proposed a non-destructive high-throughput phenotyping technique for estimating the modulus of elasticity of maize stalks and successfully visualized which parts of the stalks should be improved for specific cultivars to prevent lodging

SP creep properties of Gr.91 boiler pipings service-exposed in different USC power plants

The small punch (SP) testing technique was applied to five heats of Gr.91 steel, which had been actually used for boiler pipings in different USC power plants for long periods of time to investigate the applicability of this technique to the assessment of heat-to-heat variation of creep property. The experimental results revealed that the SP creep rupture strength and deformation behavior were quite different depending on the heat. Those differences in SP creep property, which could not be evaluated by hardness measurement, were qualitatively similar to those in standard uniaxial creep one. It was expected that the SP creep testing technique was applicable to the assessment of heat-to-heat variation for in-service boiler pipings

Effect of doxapram on the electrical activity of the diaphragm waveform pattern of preterm infants

[Objective] This study aimed to evaluate the change in the waveform pattern of the electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi) following the administration of doxapram in extremely preterm infants ventilated with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA). [Study Design] We conducted this retrospective cohort study in our neonatal intensive care unit between November 2019 and September 2021. The study participants were extremely preterm infants under the gestational age of 28 weeks who were ventilated with NAVA and administered doxapram. We collected the data of the Edi waveform pattern and calculated the proportion. To analyze the change in the proportion of the Edi waveform pattern, we compared the proportion of the data for 1 h before and after doxapram administration. [Results] Ten extremely preterm infants were included. Almost all the patients’ respiratory condition improved after doxapram administration. The ventilatory parameters—Edi peak, Edi minimum, peak inspiratory pressure, time in backup ventilation, and number of switches to backup ventilation—did not change significantly. However, the proportion of phasic pattern significantly increased (before: 46% vs. after: 72%; p < 0.05), whereas the central apnea pattern significantly decreased after doxapram administration (before: 31% vs. after: 8.3%; p < 0.05). The proportion of irregular low-voltage patterns tended to decrease, albeit with no significant changes. [Conclusion] Our results indicated that the proportion of Edi waveform patterns changed following doxapram administration. Edi waveform pattern analysis could be a sensitive indicator of effect with other intervention for respiratory conditions