Explore the vast range of titles available.

Hydrogen energy systems, such as a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and a hydrogen station, are rapidly developing to solve global environmental problems and resource problems. The available structural materials used for hydrogen equipments have been limited to only a few relatively expensive metallic materials that are tolerant for hydrogen embrittlement. Therefore, for the realization of a hydrogen society, it is important to expand the range of materials available for hydrogen equipment and thereby to enable the use of inexpensive common materials. Therefore, ductile cast iron was, in this study, focused as a structural material that could contribute to cost reduction of hydrogen equipment, because it is a low-cost material having good mechanical property comparable to carbon steels in addition to good castability and machinability. The strength and ductility of common ductile cast irons with a ferritic-pearlitic matrix can be controlled by the volume fraction of pearlitic phase. In the case of carbon steels, the susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement increases with increase in the pearlite fraction. Toward the development of ferritic-pearlitic ductile cast iron with reasonable strength for hydrogen equipment, it is necessary to figure out the effect of pearlite on the hydrogen embrittlement of this cast iron. In this study, the tensile tests were conducted using hydrogen-precharged specimens of three kinds of ferritic-pearlitic ductile cast irons, JIS-FCD400, JIS-FCD450 and JIS-FCD700. Based on the results, the role of pearlite in characterizing the hydrogen embrittlement of ductile cast iron was discussed.

A strong geomagnetic storm that occurred on 01-December-2023 triggered unusual equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB) over 100-140°E longitudes, which persisted for several hours after sunrise on the next day. FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 and ground-based global navigation satellite system observations, and Global Ionospheric Specification (GIS) electron density are used to investigate this long-lasting unseasonal EPB episode in the solstice period over Asia-Pacific. The results show that in presence of elevated F-layer bottom-side aided by prompt penetration electric field (PPEF), large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTID) generated by high-latitude Joule heating seeded the instability soon after sunset. However, it is a second phase of reinforced EPBs generated in the post-midnight period triggered by another group of larger LSTIDs that uncharacteristically prolonged into daytime hours. The GIS observations further provide evidence that the extremely low background ionization on the following day due to composition changes during the negative storm phase enabled these EPBs to survive even after sunrise before the depleted flux tubes were refilled by fresh ionization. The coordinated ground- and space-based observations demonstrate the causal links for the rare unseasonal EPBs occurring in the post-sunset and post-midnight periods over the same longitude sector and the latter persisting several hours after sunrise with potentially enduring space weather implications on satellite communication and navigation.

Pulp fibroblasts express various pro-inflammatory mediators leading to marked infiltration of inflammatory cells in the progression of pulpitis. We hypothesized that pulp fibroblasts play roles in the recognition of invaded caries-related bacteria and the subsequent innate immune responses. We found clear expressions of TLR2, NOD1, and NOD2 and a faint expression of TLR4 in human dental pulp fibroblasts (HDPF) by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. We also observed that various pro-inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, prostaglandin E2 and its key enzyme COX-2, not iNOS or caspase-1, were markedly up-regulated by stimulation with these TLR and NOD agonists. More over, the NOD2 agonist acted synergistically with the TLR2, not the TLR4, agonist to stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in HDPF. These findings indicate that TLR2, TLR4, NOD2, and NOD1 in HDPF are functional receptors, and NOD2 is a modulator of signals transmitted through TLR2 in pulpal immune responses, leading to progressive pulpitis.

The prevalence of airflow obstruction in Japan is 3.8%-16.9%. This epidemiological study based on a large database aimed to reassess the prevalence of airflow obstruction in Japan and the diagnosis rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We used data regarding claims from the health insurance union and health checkups provided by JMDC. The present study included a subgroup of individuals aged ≥40 years who underwent health checkups involving spirometry between January and December 2019. The study endpoints were the prevalence of airflow obstruction, COPD diagnosis rate, disease stage, and respiratory function test results. Among 102,190 participants, 4113 (4.0%) had airflow obstruction. The prevalence of airflow obstruction was 5.3% in men and 2.1% in women. Among the study population, 6.8% were current smokers, while 3.4% were never or former smokers. Additionally, the prevalence of COPD increased with age. Approximately 8.4% of participants with airflow obstruction were diagnosed with COPD. Regarding the COPD diagnosis status, participants with airflow obstruction who were diagnosed with COPD were at a more advanced stage than those not diagnosed. Finally, patients diagnosed with COPD had significantly lower FEV /FVC and FEV (p < 0.0001; Wilcoxon rank sum test). The epidemiological study based on a large database determined the COPD diagnosis rate related to airflow obstruction. The COPD diagnosis rate was extremely low among individuals who underwent health checkups, indicating the need for increased awareness about this medical condition. Moreover, primary care physicians should identify patients with suspected COPD and collaborate with pulmonologists to facilitate the early detection of COPD and enhance the COPD diagnosis rate.

Ionospheric data assimilation is a powerful approach to reconstruct the 3-D distribution of the ionospheric electron density from various types of observations. We present a data assimilation model for the ionosphere, based on the Gauss–Markov Kalman filter with the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) as the background model, to assimilate two different types of slant total electron content (TEC) observations from ground-based GPS and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) radio occultation. Covariance models for the background model error and observational error play important roles in data assimilation. The objective of this study is to investigate impacts of stationary (location-independent) and non-stationary (location-dependent) classes of the background model error covariance on the quality of assimilation analyses. Location-dependent correlations are modeled using empirical orthogonal functions computed from an ensemble of the IRI outputs, while location-independent correlations are modeled using a Gaussian function. Observing system simulation experiments suggest that assimilation of slant TEC data facilitated by the location-dependent background model error covariance yields considerably higher quality assimilation analyses. Results from assimilation of real ground-based GPS and F3/C radio occultation observations over the continental United States are presented as TEC and electron density profiles. Validation with the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar data and comparison with the Abel inversion results are also presented. Our new ionospheric data assimilation model that employs the location-dependent background model error covariance outperforms the earlier assimilation model with the location-independent background model error covariance, and can reconstruct the 3-D ionospheric electron density distribution satisfactorily from both ground- and space-based GPS observations.

To evaluate hydrogen embrittlement, the following two types of testing method are available: (i) testing in high-pressure hydrogen gas environment and (ii) testing in ambient air using hydrogen precharged specimen. Testing in high-pressure hydrogen gas environment is technically difficult and expensive because high-pressure gas equipments, such as high-pressure vessel and pipe, have to be installed in the laboratory. On the other hand, in the case of precharging method, outgassing of hydrogen from the specimen occurs during the test. Therefore, hydrogen embrittlement can hardly be evaluated properly, especially, in long-term testing such as high cycle fatigue test at low frequency. In this study, to effectively evaluate the hydrogen embrittlement in fatigue, an experimental method, which was the four-point bending fatigue test system with a mechanism of internal circulation of hydrogen-charging solution in a pipe specimen, was developed. By using this method, the fatigue crack growth properties in the presence of hydrogen were investigated at frequencies of 0.05 Hz and 1 Hz.

The most widely used testing methods for evaluating the hydrogen embrittlement resistance are classified into the following two types: (1) testing in high-pressure hydrogen gas and (2) testing in air using hydrogen pre-charged specimens. Testing in hydrogen gas is technically difficult and expensive, because high-pressure gas equipments composed of such as a high-pressure vessel and piping system has to be introduced. On the other hand, in the case of pre-charging method, the outgassing of hydrogen from the specimen occurs during the test. Therefore, hydrogen embrittlement could not be evaluated accurately by the pre-charging method in long-term tests such as a fatigue test. In a previous study, to evaluate hydrogen embrittlement effectively, a novel experimental method was developed, in which four-point bending fatigue test system was performed with continuous circulation of a hydrogen-charging solution into a pipe specimen. This new testing system using hydrogen-charging solution enables an easy yet reasonable evaluation of hydrogen embrittlement for a long-term fatigue test. In this study, the frequency effect on the crack growth rate due to hydrogen was investigated by this new testing method. Fatigue crack growth tests at a test frequency ranging from 1 to 0.0002 Hz demonstrated that the fatigue crack growth rate was faster in the presence of hydrogen than in the absence of hydrogen at all test frequencies. Further, the increase in crack growth rate became more pronounced with decrease in test frequency. This frequency dependence upon crack growth rate was discussed by considering the difference between the effects of external hydrogen and internal hydrogen.

AIM This study was designed to examine whether trehalose could protect corneal epithelial cells in culture from death by desiccation in order to test trehalose as a potential new eye drop for dry eye syndrome. METHODS Human corneal epithelial cells in near confluent culture in wells of a 96 well multidish were preincubated for 15 minutes with 2, 20, 50, 100, or 200 mM trehalose or maltose in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), PBS alone, or three kinds of commercially available artificial tear substitutes (one with borate buffered saline and the other two containing either hydroxyethylcellulose or hyaluronan). The medium was aspirated completely and cells were left dry for 30 minutes at room temperature in room humidity. Live cells and dead cells were visualised by fluorescent dyes and counted for statistical analysis. RESULTS The percentage of dead corneal epithelial cells after desiccation was significantly lower in preincubation with 50, 100, and 200 mM trehalose, compared with preincubation with PBS alone (p<0.0001, Kruskal-Wallis test, and p<0.05, Tukey-Kramer test). Trehalose at the concentration of 20 mM or lower, maltose at any concentrations, and commercially available artificial tear substitutes did not protect corneal epithelial cells from death by desiccation. CONCLUSIONS Trehalose at 50, 100, and 200 mM protected corneal epithelial cells in culture from death by desiccation. Trehalose could be used as a potential new eye drop for dry eye syndrome.

This paper presents our effort to assimilate FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC (F3/C) GPS Occultation Experiment (GOX) observations into the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE‐GCM) by means of ensemble Kalman filtering (EnKF). The F3/C electron density profiles (EDPs) uniformly distributed around the globe which provide an excellent opportunity to monitor the ionospheric electron density structure. The NCAR TIE‐GCM simulates the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere by using self‐consistent solutions for the coupled nonlinear equations of hydrodynamics, neutral and ion chemistry, and electrodynamics. The F3/C EDP are combined with the TIE‐GCM simulations by EnKF algorithms implemented in the NCAR Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) open‐source community facility to compute the expected value of electron density, which is ‘the best’ estimate of the current ionospheric state. Assimilation analyses obtained with real F3/C electron density profiles are compared with independent ground‐based observations as well as the F3/C profiles themselves. The comparison shows the improvement of the primary ionospheric parameters, such as NmF2 and hmF2. Nevertheless, some unrealistic signatures appearing in the results and high rejection rates of observations due to the applied outlier threshold and quality control are found in the assimilation experiments. This paper further discusses the limitations of the model and the impact of ensemble member creation approaches on the assimilation results, and proposes possible methods to avoid these problems for future work. Key Points First use of EnKF to assimilate F3/C density profiles into a coupled model Posterior NmF2 and hmF2 agree better with observations than default simulations Forcing parameters would be estimated to reduce inconsistencies

Analyze the effects of 3 gait retraining: forefoot landing (FFOOT), 10% step rate increase (SR10%) and forward trunk lean (FTL) on lower limb biomechanics and clinical measurements in patellofemoral pain (PFP) runners. Case series report. Biomechanical laboratory and treadmill running. Eighteen recreational PFP runners randomized in 3 groups. Lower limb kinematics and muscle activation were assessed at baseline and 2-week post-training. Pain intensity and function limitation, measured by AKPS (Anterior Knee Pain Scale) and LEFS (Lower Extremity Functional Scale) assessed at baseline, post-training and 6-month follow-up. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the effects of gait retraining. FFOOT and FTL increased the AKPS score at post-training(P = .001; P = .008) and 6-month follow-up(P < .001; P < .001). SR10% increased the AKPS score from baseline to 6-month follow-up(P = .006). Pain and LEFS score were improved after gait retraining regardless group. FFOOT presented greater gastrocnemius(P = .037) and rectus femoris pre-activation(P = .006) at post-retraining session. Gait retraining reduced the muscle activity during stance phase and increased during the late-swing regardless group. The three techniques presented clinical benefits, improvement of pain symptoms and functional scores, was not accompanied with significant biomechanics differences that could entirely explain this clinical improvement after the intervention. •The FFOOT, SR10% and FTL groups experienced less pain at 6 months post-gait retraining and greater physical function.•The 3 running conditions could be used in PFP runners in order to reduce pain symptoms and improve functional abilities.•Previous runners’ musculoskeletal injury history should be considerate before a gait retraining implementation.•Clinical improvements are not totally explained by kinematics or electromyography changes in 2-week of gait retraining.