Application of β-sheet proteins as a compatibilizer in injection molding of kenaf core/polypropylene composites

ABSTRACT

Injection-molding was performed using ethylene–propylene copolymer as the matrix by varying the physicochemical treatment of the reinforcement, i.e., core portion of kenaf stem that was dry-distilled and coated with or without β-sheet protein derivatives. Although dry distillation reduced the moisture content, the Charpy impact strength of the molded composites was low. When molding was performed using the fillers coated with β-sheet protein derivatives, especially coated with liquid silk (LS), a satisfactory Charpy impact strength of the molded composites was markedly gained. Thus, the β-sheet protein derivatives had potential to work as a compatibilizer. Coating the fillers with β-sheet proteins was also effective in suppressing the generation of silver streaks on the surface of composites and in preventing the occurrence of defective injection molding.     

A 200 Mbit/s Synchronous TDM Loop Optical LAN Suitable for Multiservice Integration

This paper describes a 200 Mbit/s multiservice optical local area network (LAN) using a synchronous TDM loop structure. The LAN consists of a central supervisory node and multiple service nodes connected by an optical fiber loop. Each service node supports communication channels which have access to allocated time slots in TDM frames continuously circulating on the loop. Multiple independent communication paths of various speeds up to 140 Mbits/s and various modes including point-to-point, ring, and multicast, can be provided between the channels on the loop. The ring will be useful to support ring networks, such as a token ring. The structure of this LAN is quite suitable for integration of multiple services, including video, image, data, and voice, since each service can independently choose its own speed, access method, and mode. In this development, various LSI-based high-speed hardware technologies including compact E/O and O/E modules, GaAs 4 × 4 matrix switch LSI's, and high-speed TDM-processor LSI's, which are versatilely applicable to high-speed LAN's ranging from 100 Mbits/s up to 560 Mbits/s, have been successfully introduced and compact LAN equipment has been obtained. This paper deals mainly with the system and hardware structure of this LAN, together with high-speed hardware technologies. An outline of firmware and network operation, and an application example are also described.     

Influence of cardiopulmonary bypass on lymphocyte function

It is known that lymphocyte function is impaired after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In this study, the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) with PHA was used before and after CPB in 28 adult patients, and compared with the surgical parameters and serum cytokine (IL-6, IL-8) levels. LST was impaired after CPB in all patients. Although this value usually recovered by the third postoperative day (POD); (normal group, n = 16), some patients showed prolonged duration of the impaired LST (delayed group, n = 12). Therefore, the parameters of surgery, white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocytes and subsets, and serum cytokine levels were compared between the normal and the delayed groups. There was no significant difference in the number of WBCs or lymphocytes between these two groups. OKT4-positive cells were reduced on the first POD in both groups, and in the normal group, the number of OKT4-positive cells recovered more quickly than in the delayed group. Serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the delayed group were elevated after CPB, and were significantly higher in the delayed group than in the normal group. In conclusion, patients who showed prolonged impairment of lymphocyte function may be partly due to prolonged CPB.     

A New Catalyst for Selective Oxidation of CO in H2: Part 1, Activation by Depositing a Large Amount of FeO x on Pt/Al2O3 and Pt/CeO2 Catalysts

1% Pt/Al₂O₃ and 1% Pt/CeO₂ are markedly activated by the deposition of a large quantity of FeO _x , about 100 wt% in Fe with respect to the supports. In contrast, the activity of a Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst was completely suppressed by the deposition of FeO _x , but a Ru-Pt/Al₂O₃ was markedly activated by the FeO _x . The activation depends on the sequence of the deposition, that is, no pronounced activation was observed on the Pt supported on a FeO _x /Al₂O₃ as well as on the Pt codeposited with a small amount of Fe on Al₂O₃, that is, the activity was almost equal to that of the Pt/Al₂O₃. The XPS analysis of the Pt/CeO₂ and FeO _x /Pt/CeO₂ proved that the Pt is effectively covered with the FeO _x . Selectivity for the oxidation of CO in H₂ was also improved on the FeO _x /Pt/Al₂O₃ and FeO _x /Pt/CeO₂ catalysts and it is rather independent of the conversion. In conformity with the feature of the FeO _x /Pt/Al₂O₃ and FeO _x /Pt/CeO₂ catalysts, we deduced that the deposited FeO _x is activated by the Pt and the FeO _x is responsible for the selective oxidation of CO.     

Reaction products of α-tocopherol with a free radical initiator, 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile)

α-Tocopherol wss reacted with an alkylperoxyl radical at 37°C in ethanol. 2,2′-Azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) was used to generate the alkylperoxyl radicals. The reaction products of α-tocopherol were isolated by reverse-phase and normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography, and their structures were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet,¹H and¹³C nuclear magnetic resonances and mass spectrometry. They were 8aS-hydroperoxy-α-tocopherone, 8aR-hydroperoxy-α-tocopherone, a mixure of 7,8-epoxy-8aS-ethoxy-α-tocopherone, and 7,8-epoxy-8aR-ethoxy-α-tocopherone, 8aS-(1R-cyano-1,3-dimethyl)butylperoxy-α-tocopherone, 8aS-(1S-cyano-1,3-dimethyl)butylperoxy-α-tocopherone, a mixture of 8aR-(1S-cyano-1,3-dimethyl)butylperoxy-α-tocopherone and 8aR-(1S-cyano-1,3-dimethyl)butylperoxy-α-tocopherone, 4aR,5S-epoxy-8aS-ethoxy-α-tocopherone, 4aS,5R-epoxy-8aS-ethoxy-α-tocopherone and 4aR,5S-epoxy-8aR-ethoxy-α-tocopherone.     

Viscosity of a phase-separating critical mixture

Onuki has predicted the existence of a significant enhancement of the viscosity of a liquid mixture in the course of spinodal decomposition. We discuss a method to measure this effect in a critical mixture of isobutyric acid and water in which spinodal decomposition is induced by a pressure-quench technique. In addition, by varying the static pressure in the homogeneous phase, experimental information about the dynamic critical exponent for the viscosity is obtained.Paper presented at the Tenth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 20–23, 1988, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A.     

Effect of ion position on single-event transient current

Using focused high-energy microbeams of carbon- and oxygen-ions and a high speed, wide bandwidth measurement system, we found a strong dependence of the collected charge and the transient current waveform on the position of ion incidences. Single-event charge is collected by a diffusion mechanism even when the ion strikes a position about 3 4 μm away from the lateral boundary of the p⁺n-junction area.     

Recent progress in JAERI single ion hit system

Single ion hit system has been installed in heavy ion microbeam system in JAERI Takasaki for analysis of single event phenomenon in semiconductor devices. The detection and control of a single ion injection to a target have been achieved by combining a beam pulsing system with a gated detection system. The microscopic observation of a track detector hit by a single ion periodically, shows the controls of the hit positions and numbers of incident ions are successful.