Why do two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) inhabit on the underside of leaves? Why are diapause females orange? A possible key to answering these questions is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation directly damages DNA and produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS also damages DNA, dissociates proteins, and oxidizes lipids. Because mites are small, the UV/ROS-induced damage would be lethal to mites. In non-diapause females, mortalities under UV-C (250 nm) at 0.6 W m–2 and UV-B (300 nm) at 2.4 W m–2 were significantly higher than those under continuous darkness (DD; control). Oviposition rates in such treatments were significantly lower than those under DD. No significant effects for mortality and oviposition rate were observed under UV-A (350 nm) even when the intensity was as high as 2.4 W m–2. In diapause females, the differences in mortalities between all types of UV radiation and DD were not significant. Interestingly, more than half of diapause females escaped from leaf disks under all types of UV radiation, and the escape rates were significantly higher than those under DD and those for non-diapause females. This suggests that diapause females exhibit negative phototaxis. Mites inhabit the underside of leaves in summer with dense vegetation. Most of UV radiation is absorbed and reflected by leaves. Therefore, the underside of leaves is considered a suitable environment for mites to avoid UV radiation, particularly UV-B (UV-C is completely absorbed by the ozone layer). In autumn, leaves start turning yellow and red as winter approaches and finally, fall. During this phenological event, the UV-B level in the plant canopy would increases dramatically while female mites enter diapause with a change in their body color from yellow-green to orange. It is known that the orange color is mainly due to the accumulation of β-carotene, which plays a role as a scavenger of ROS. Therefore, low mortalities observed in diapause females under UV-C and UV-B may be a result of β-carotene accumulation or merely due to the increase in the escape rate. Therefore, whether the escaped diapause females are resistant to UV-C and UV-B damage needs to be confirmed. Our findings suggest that UV radiation is utilized as an effective non-chemical measure to reduce the mite population and that the selection of habitat and change in body color is the mite’s strategy to reduce the deleterious effects of UV-B.

Filling of the tool die directly influences dimensional tolerances and density variation. To minimize the variations in filling, both within different sections of the cavity and from part to part, are of great importance for produce high quality P/M parts. Filling of the tool die is also one of the limiting factors in the productivity in powder pressing. By using aeration filling in combination with bonded powder mixes, both weight scatter and productivity can be improved. In this presentation results are presented showing the benefit of using aeration filling for different types of powders

Optimized choice of material for two principally different types of PM components is presented. The first is characterized by high stresses in areas with high stress concentrations (for example synchronizer hubs with very sharp notches, typically <0.25mm in the pre-synchronizer slot and the inner splines). The second type has slightly larger notch radii (small spur gears and sprockets with typically notch radii between 1- 3mm). Diffusion alloyed materials are well suited for sharp notch components. Pre-alloyed materials are also well suited for applications with sharp notches if compressive residual stresses in the notch roots are created by appropriate process control. A free choice of material is available for components with the larger notch radii.

Along with the growth of conventional ferrous powder metallurgy (PM), PM of aluminum alloys has been intensively investigated in Japan. Although rapidly solidified aluminum alloy powder was first used in the USA,/sup 1)/ commercialization for consumer market was first realized in Japan./sup 2)/ In order to achieve the viable cost-performance including Near Net Shape (NNS) formability, we developed three processes, powder extrusion, powder forging and sintering. The new powder extrusion process does not use either capsulation or vacuum degassing. The new powder forging does not need lateral flow. The new sintering process does not use liquid phase. The performance achieved by the processes is outstanding mechanical or physical properties that has potential to substitute cast iron, steel, titanium Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) or Ingot Metallurgy (IM) aluminum alloys. Cooperation with customers, powder suppliers and research associations contributed to the advancement of PM aluminum alloys in Japan.

The observations of rapid motion of bubbles under water for approximately 50ms or less in high . magnetic fields of 10 T have been carried out successfully for the first time. The observation system constructed is composed of a high-speed video camera, a telescope, a cryostat with a split-type superconducting magnet, a light source, a mirror and a transparent sample cell. Using this system, the influence of magnetic field on the path and shape of single bubbles of O2(paramagnetism) and N2 (diamagnetism) has been examined carefully. Experimental values describing the path are in good agreement with theoretical values calculated on the basis of the magneto-Archimedes effect, despite the effect of magnetism on the bubble. However, no effect of magnetism on the shape of the bubble is observed In addition, the influence of magnetic field on drag coefficient of the bubble is discussed