Tilt-angle measurement of a sample stage using a capacitive liquid-based inclinometer

Alignment of projection images in tomographic reconstruction is a critical process that governs the quality of the reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) image. The most popular alignment method is the marker-based alignment, which typically uses colloidal gold particles added to the specimen (called fiducial markers) to calculate the coordinates of each projection image in the tilt series. This method, however, is not effective when each image contains only a small number of fiducial markers. Therefore, of all the parameters required for alignment, we focussed on the tilt angle and attempted to gage it directly in order to examine whether the acquired angle is accurate enough to perform tomographic reconstruction. We showed that the tilt angle measured using a commercially available capacitive liquid-based inclinometer is more precise than the reading from the monitor of the electron microscope and that it can lead to 3D reconstructions of quality similar to those obtained by the marker-based alignment method.     

Sunlight photo-assisted TiO₂-based pilot plant scale remediation of (simulated) contaminated aquatic sites

A tubular-type solar photoreactor system powered by commercial solar panels and consisting of six 20-tube modules (Pyrex glass) to mimic a pilot plant scale configuration was designed and constructed to examine the remediation of simulated wastewaters contaminated with various classes of organic pollutants such as endocrine disruptors (e.g. bisphenol A), anionic surfactants (sodium butylnaphthalenesulfonate and sodium dodecyl- benzenesulfonate), herbicides (e.g. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and a commercial dishwasher detergent. Photo-oxidative processes followed first-order kinetics expressed in terms of the total light energy (in kJ) that impinged on the photoreactor. The influence of TiO? loading and circulation flow rate of the wastewaters on the dynamics of the photo-oxidation to mineralization (loss of total organic carbon, TOC, or formation of sulfate ions) was investigated. The optimal operational parameters were: TiO? loading, 2 g L?1; circulation flow rate, 7.5 L min?1. On a sunny day, near- quantitative mineralization of the contaminants was achieved after only 4 h of irradiation that corresponded to an accumulated energy of ca 1380 kJ.     

Recyclable Solid Ruthenium Catalysts Supported on Metal Oxides for the Addition of Carboxylic Acids to Terminal Alkynes

Ceria‐supported ruthenium catalysts (Ru/CeO₂) were found to be quite effective for the addition of various carboxylic acids to terminal alkynes, which gave the corresponding enol esters in moderate to high yields. The major products of the reaction were E‐isomers of anti‐Markovnikov adducts. Among the ceria‐supported ruthenium catalysts examined, those prepared using ruthenium precursors with chloride ligands showed high activities. The zirconia‐supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/ZrO₂) showed activity comparable to that of the ceria‐supported catalyst. These catalysts were recyclable without a significant loss of activity, and the leaching of ruthenium species into the liquid phase was negligible after cooling the reaction mixture, which indicates marked superiority of the present solid oxide catalysts to conventional homogeneous catalysts.     

Antiobesity effects of Undaria lipid capsules prepared with scallop phospholipids

Based on previous research findings, a capsule was developed containing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid rich scallop phospholipids (PLs) with an incorporation of brown seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida) lipids (ULs) containing fucoxanthin. The antiobesity effects of the capsules were evaluated with an animal model using 3-wk-old male KK-A(y) mice. Each group received different combinations of lipid (UL, PL, UL + PL, or UL + PL capsule) either incorporated into the diet or into drinking water. Animals were sacrificed after a 4-wk experimental feeding period, and adipose tissues and organs were dissected and weighed. Blood samples were obtained to determine plasma lipid profiles. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mRNA expression levels were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, and UCP1 expression was determined by western blotting analysis. Treatment with either UL alone or UL + PL (capsule) through drinking water resulted in a significant reduction in body weight, compared to the control group. The total white adipose tissue weight of mice fed the UL + PL capsule in drinking water was significantly reduced. Both UCP1 and UCP1 mRNA expression in epididymal fat from mice fed the capsule were significantly higher than in the control group. These results suggest that incorporation of UL into scallop-derived PL by means of capsulation may lead to an additive increase in the antiobesity properties of these bioactive lipids.     

Automatic parameter optimization of the local model fitting method for single-shot surface profiling

The local model fitting (LMF) method is a single-shot surface profiling algorithm. Its measurement principle is based on the assumption that the target surface to be profiled is locally flat, which enables us to utilize the information brought by nearby pixels in the single interference image for robust LMF. Given that the shape and size of the local area is appropriately determined, the LMF method was demonstrated to provide very accurate measurement results. However, the appropriate choice of the local area often requires prior knowledge on the target surface profile or manual parameter tuning. To cope with this problem, we propose a method for automatically determining the shape and size of local regions only from the single interference image. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through experiments.     

Synthesis and gas permeation properties of various Si-containing poly(diarylacetylene)s and their desilylated membranes

Diarylacetylene monomers having trimethylsilyl groups and other substituents (substituted biphenyl, 1a and 1b; trimethylsilylmethylphenyl, 1c-e) were synthesized and polymerized with TaCl₅-n-Bu₄Sn catalyst to produce the corresponding poly(diarylacetylene)s (2a-d). Polymers 2a-c had high molecular weights and were soluble in common organic solvents. Free-standing membranes of 2a-c as well as previously reported 2f-h were prepared by the solution-casting method. Desilylation of these Si-containing polymer membranes was carried out with trifluoroacetic acid to afford 3a, 3b, and 3f-h. Upon desilylation, biphenyl-containing membranes became less permeable (3a, b), whereas fluorene-containing membranes became more permeable (3f-h). In particular, 3h exhibited extremely high gas permeability (PO₂ = 9800 barrers), which is about the same as that of poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne). Desilylated membranes 3a and 3f-h showed different gas permeability from that of polymers 2i-k which have the identical chemical structures and obtained directly by the polymerization of the corresponding monomers.     

Partially oxidized niobium carbonitride as a non-platinum catalyst for the reduction of oxygen in acidic medium

Partially oxidized NbC_0.5N_0.5 has been evaluated as a non-platinum catalyst for the reduction of oxygen in acidic medium. NbC_0.5N_0.5 powder was partially oxidized in N₂ gas containing O₂ of 10⁻⁴ atm at the temperature range of 700-1000 °C. Partially oxidized NbC_0.5N_0.5 had a definite oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, while as-prepared NbC_0.5N_0.5 and completely oxidized Nb₂O₅ had a poor catalytic activity for ORR. The onset potential of the partially oxidized NbC_0.5N_0.5 for the ORR achieved 0.92 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ at 30 °C. The results of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ionization potential measurements suggested that oxygen-vacancy defects might be responsible for the oxygen reduction capability by creating electronically favorable oxygen adsorption sites.