Development of Online Machining and Measurement System in Die and Mold Manufacturing： Concept and Fundamental Experiments

The corrective machining to compensate the resulting errors is usually tried at plural times based on the trial-and-error process when the machining is realized in die and mold manufacturing. This corrective machining has an influence on accuracy and efficiency and is an important factor. The measurement system for measuring the forms of die and mold at all times is essential in order to machine the die and mold with high accuracy and efficiency. However, the problems of management and operation errors are found in compensating process of die and mold machining. In this paper, an online machining and measurement system in die and mold manufacturing is developed in order to overcome these problems. In this online system, 2-axis control system is added to a surface roughness measuring instrument, and both NC machining program and measured data are linked and controlled using a same computer. Therefore, the machining and measurement can be recognized for consistent process, and can be realized on the machine. This system has the advantages such as the high accuracy, low-price, and online convenience and so on. The possibility of practical use of this online system was investigated by fundamental experiments.

Liver-targeted hydrodynamic gene therapy: Recent advances in the technique

One of the major research focuses in the field of gene therapy is the development of clinically applicable, safe, and effective gene-delivery methods. Since the first case of human gene therapy was performed in 1990, a number of gene-delivery methods have been developed, evaluated for efficacy and safety, and modified for human application. To date, viral-vectormediated deliveries have shown effective therapeutic results. However, the risk of lethal immune response and carcinogenesis have been reported, and it is still controversial to be applied as a standard therapeutic option. On the other hand, delivery methods for nonviral vector systems have been developed, extensively studied, and utilized in in vivo gene-transfer studies. Compared to viral-vector mediated gene transfer, nonviral systems have less risk of biological reactions. However, the lower gene-transfer efficiency was a critical hurdle for applying them to human gene therapy. Among a number of nonviral vector systems, our studies focus on hydrodynamic gene delivery to utilize physical force to deliver naked DNA into the cells in the living animals. This method achieves a high gene-transfer level by DNA solution injections into the tail vein of rodents, especially in the liver. With the development of genome editing methods, in vivo gene-transfer therapy using this method is currently the focus in this research field. This review explains the method principle, efficiency, safety, and procedural modifications to achieve a high level of reproducibility in large-animal models.

Flow Properties of Ultra-Fine Bubble Mixtures Passing through Micro-Apertures

The flow properties of fine bubble mixture flows are investigated and reported. Few previous studies have focused on ultra-fine bubble (UFB) mixtures, which contain sub-micrometer sized bubbles. In this study, UFB mixtures of water and glycerol solution are passed through micro-sized slits and capillaries, and the resultant pressure drops are evaluated in comparison with those for water and aqueous glycerol alone. The experimentally measured pressure drop for slits (≤51 μm) and capillaries (≤81 μm) is less for UFB mixtures than for water and aqueous glycerol alone. This phenomenon is considered in terms of interface behavior and attributed to the electric interaction between an electric double layer and the UFBs. Furthermore, numerical observation for slip wall conditions is conducted, and the results for UFB mixtures agree with the predicted values for slip wall conditions.