Adenosine, mast cells and asthma

The aim of this article is to review the interplay between adenosine and mast cells in asthma. Adenosine is an endogenous nucleoside released from metabolically active cells and generated extracellularly via the degradation of released ATP. It is a potent biological mediator that modulates the activity of numerous cell types including platelets, neutrophils and mast cells via action at specific adenosine receptors (A(1), A(2a), A(2b), A(3)). These receptors are expressed on mast cells but the exact pattern of receptor subtype expression depends on the source of the mast cells. Adenosine is also a potent bronchoconstricting agent and is suggested to contribute to the pathophysiology of asthma. Evidence is provided to suggest that the nucleoside exerts its influence on the asthmatic condition through its ability to modulate the release of mast cell derived mediators. However, the mechanism of adenosine/mast cell interaction which contributes to asthma remains unclear. Progress in the area has been hampered by the heterogeneity of mast cell responses and a lack of highly specific receptor agonists and antagonists. The expression of different adenosine receptor subtypes on mast cells is described. The final section of the review presents data to suggest that BAL mast cells may provide an accurate and relevant model for future investigations and together with the development of superior pharmacological tools, may aid the realisation of the therapeutic potential of adenosine/mast cell interactions in asthma. In conclusion, the role of adenosine in asthma is clearly complex. A better understanding of the contribution of adenosine to the asthmatic condition may lead to novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of the disease.

Exposure of mortars to cyclic chloride ingress and carbonation

The presence of chloride ions is one of the primary factors causing the degradation of reinforced concrete structures. An investigation to monitor ingress of chlorides during a 24-week wetting and drying exposure regime to simulate conditions in which multiple-mode transport mechanisms are active was conducted on a variety of binders. Penetration was evaluated using free and total chloride profiles. Acid extraction of chlorides is quantitatively reliable and practical for assessing penetration. X-ray diffraction was used to determine the presence of bound chlorides and carbonation. The ability of the cement blends to resist chloride penetration was, from best to worst, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, microsilica, pulverised-fuel ash, Portland cement. The effect of carbonation on binding capability was observed and the relative quantity of chlorides also showed a correlation with the amount of chlorides bound in the form of Friedel’s salt.

Cyclic behaviour of Volterra composition operators

We determine the cyclic behaviour of Volterra composition operators, which are defined as $(V_\phif)(x) =\int_0^{\phi(x)}f(t) dt$, $f ? L^p[0, 1]$, 1\leq p <\infty$,
where $?$ is a measurable self-map of [0, 1]. The cyclic behaviour of $V_\phi$ is essentially determined by the behaviour of the inducing symbol $\phi$ at 0 and at 1. As a particular result, we provide new examples of quasinilpotent supercyclic operators, which extend and complement previous ones of Hector Salas.

Fatigue behavior of laser-welded NiTi wires in small-strain cyclic bending

NiTi wires and their weldments are commonly used in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and in such applications, cyclic loading are commonly encountered. In this paper, the bending-rotation fatigue (BRF) test was used to study the bending fatigue behavior of NiTi wire laser weldment in the small-strain regime. The fracture mechanism, which includes crack initiation, crack growth and propagation of the weldment in the BRF test, was investigated with the aid of SEM fractography and discussed in terms of the microstructure. It was found that crack initiation was primarily surface-condition dependent. The cracks were found to initiate at the surface defects at the weld zone (WZ) surface, and the crack propagation was assisted by the gas inclusions in the WZ. The weldment was finally fractured in a ductile manner. The fatigue life was found to decrease with increasing surface strain and also with increasing bending frequency (controlled by the rotational speed in the BRF test). In comparison, the fatigue life of the unwelded NiTi wires was higher than their welded counterparts at all strain levels and bending frequencies. The decrease in fatigue resistance of the weldment could be attributed to the surface and microstructural defects introduced during laser welding.

Effect of postweld heat treatment on the microstructure and cyclic deformation behavior of laser-welded NiTi-shape memory wires

NiTi wires of 0.5 mm diameter were laser welded using a CW 100-W fiber laser in an argon shielding environment with or without postweld heat-treatment (PWHT). The microstructure and the phases present were studied by scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), transmission-electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The phase transformation behavior and the cyclic stress–strain behavior of the NiTi weldments were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and cyclic tensile testing. TEM and XRD analyses reveal the presence of Ni4Ti3 particles after PWHT at or above 623 K (350 °C). In the cyclic tensile test, PWHT at 623 K (350 °C) improves the cyclic deformation behavior of the weldment by reducing the accumulated residual strain, whereas PWHT at 723 K (450 °C) provides no benefit to the cyclic deformation behavior. Welding also reduces the tensile strength and fracture elongation of NiTi wires, but the deterioration could be alleviated by PWHT.