Effect of water vapor and hydrocarbons in removing NOxby using nonthermal plasma and catalyst

Removal of NO_x in flue gas was investigated by using nonthermal plasma with catalysts. In this experiment, flue gas contained 5%-15% water vapor and hydrocarbons, as well as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Catalysts tested in this paper were copper- and sodium-coated zeolite (CuZSM-5, NaZSM-5) and a conventional three-way catalyst (Pt-Rh, alumina cordierite). The simulated flue gases had from 0% to 15% water vapor, 70% NO removal was achieved with NaZSM-5 catalyst at 200°C-500°C, with 10% moisture and the power to the reactor turned off. High-temperature removal of NO_x was the result of plasma chemical reactions and adsorption in the catalyst. However, nonthermal plasma degrades the NO_x removal with CuZSM-5 catalyst, when the gas temperature is 300°C or above. When the gas temperature was 100°C, the nonthermal plasma process was enhanced by the combination of nonthermal plasma with any type of catalyst. The catalysts investigated in this paper do not work at lower temperatures by themselves. Adsorption characteristics were also investigated and only NaZSM-5 catalyst showed significant adsorption     

Soft Nanotubes with a Hydrophobic Channel Hybridized with Au Nanoparticles: Photothermal Dispersion/Aggregation Control of C60 in Water

Simple glycolipid N‐alkaroyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranosylamine 1(n) selectively self‐assembles into sheets in water, nanotubes in alcohols, and helical nanocoils in toluene. All self‐assemblies consist of bilayer membranes in which 1(n) packed in an interdigitated fashion. The outer surface of the sheet is covered with the hydrophilic glucose headgroup of 1(n), whereas those of the nanotube and helical nanocoil are covered with the hydrophobic alkyl‐chain tail of 1(n). Heat treatment of the nanotube in the presence of water induces a rearrangement of the molecular packing of the outermost surface that allows the nanotube to become an effective nanocontainer for the dispersion of fullerene (C60) in water, a result of the ability of the hydrophilic outer surface of the nanotube and the hydrophobic nanochannel to encapsulate C60. The nanotube also exhibits photothermal characteristics after being hybridized with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). The photothermal effect of the AuNPs allows the nanotube to unfold its tubular morphology and leads to compulsive release of the encapsulated C60 to the bulk water. Application of other nanotubes with similar photostimulated transformation ability should facilitate control of the dispersion/aggregation of other carbon nanomaterials, functional aromatic compounds, and drugs with low solubility in water.     

Fluctuation of Global Gene Expression by Endogenous miRNA Response to the Introduction of an Exogenous miRNA

Most of the intracellular endogenous microRNAs (endo-miRNAs) are considered to be saturated in Argonaute (Ago) proteins in the RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs). When exogenous miRNAs (exo-miRNAs) are introduced into cells, endo-miRNAs in the RISC may be replaced with exo-miRNAs or exo-miRNAs, and endo-miRNAs might also compete for the position in the newly synthesized RISC with each other. This would lead to the fluctuation of global gene expression not only by repression of exo-miRNA target gene expression, but also by the increase of the endo-miRNA target gene expression. In the present study, we quantified the changes in the expression levels of target genes of exo-miRNA and endo-miRNA in the cells transfected with fifteen different exo-miRNAs by microarray experiments. Different exo-miRNAs increased ratios of expression levels of target genes of a given endo-miRNA to different extents, suggesting that the replacement efficiencies might differ according to the exo-miRNA types. However, the increased ratios in the expression levels of each endo-miRNA target genes by the transfection of any particular exo-miRNA were mostly equivalent, suggesting that the endo-miRNAs present in the RISC might be replaced with excessive exo-miRNAs at similar levels, probably because they exist in single-stranded forms in the RISC.     

PassiveQswitching of a CO2laser near 9.2 µ using CF2Cl2

CF2Cl2is found to cause passiveQswitching on practically all of the lines in theRbranch of the00deg1-02deg0vibrational-rotational band of CO2.     

Effects of added metal ions on the interaction of chitin and partially deacetylated chitin with an azo dye carrying hydroxyl groups

The binding of chrome violet, which is a monoazo dye and involves two hydroxyl groups in the o and o′ positions to an azo group, to chintin and partially decetylated chitin, was examined in the presence of metal ions. Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions do not perceptively influence the binding affinity of chrome voilet to chitin. In contrast, Co²⁺ ion enhances the binding and Ni²⁺ ion suppresses it. In the lower free dye concentrations the dye uptake by partially deceteylated chitin was tremendously enhanced by adding. Co²⁺ ion in the buffer solution of pH 5. The dye uptake by the polymer was considerably increased by the addition of Cu²⁺ ion at pH 5 and became much larger at pH 6. The amount corresponded to that in the presence of Co²⁺ ion. To investigate further the action of added metal ions, a cobalt- or a chrome–complex dye was prepared, and the binding properties for the polymers were compared with those of chrome violet in the presence of Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions. Some possible mechanisms for the enhancement of chrome violet binding by the addition of Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions are described. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Species separation during coating growth on aluminium by spark anodizing

The mechanism of coating growth during sparking anodizing of aluminium is probed by use of an electrolyte containing both silicate and phosphate ions, with subsequent determination of the locations of silicon and phosphorus species through the coating thickness. Importantly, the main alumina-based layer of the coating contains incorporated silicon and phosphorus species of differing distributions. Phosphorus species are primarily found in a region next to the metal, representing roughly about 30% of the layer thickness. Silicon species are located mainly above this region to the layer surface. New coating material is added in discreet amounts associated with breakdown events, which provide short-circuit paths through the layer. The growth processes within the discharge region result in separation of the silicate- and phosphate-derived species, which may relate to their different mobilities, dependent upon factors such as charge, size and bonding with other species. Further, silicon-rich material is deposited at the surface of the alumina-based layer, which is often encountered in spark anodizing in silicate electrolyte.     

Production of eicosapentaenoic acid bySaprolegnia sp. 28YTF-1

Saprolegnia sp. 28YTF-1, isolated from a freshwater sample, is a potent producer of 5,8,11,14,17-cis-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The fungus used various kinds of carbon sources, such as starch, dextrin, sucrose, glucose, and olive oil for growth, and olive oil was the best carbon source for EPA production. The EPA content reached 17 mg/g dry mycelium (0.25 mg/L) when the fungus was grown in a medium that contained 2.5% olive oil and 0.5% yeast extract, at pH 6.0 and 28°C for 6 d with shaking. Accompanying production of arachidonic acid (AA; 3.2 mg/g dry mycelia, EPA/AA = 5.1) and other ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids was low. Both EPA content and EPA/AA ratio increased in parallel by lowering growth temperature. Triglyceride was the major mycelial lipid (ca. 84%), but EPA comprised only 2.2% of the total fatty acids of this lipid. About 40% of the EPA produced was found in polar lipids, such as phosphatidylethanolamine (EPA content, 28.2%), phosphatidylcholine (13.6%), and phosphatidylserine (21.2%).     

On the nature of “easy paths” for the diffusion of oxygen in thermal oxide films on aluminum

Thermal oxide films grown on electropolished aluminum specimens have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy of stripped oxide films and ultramicrotomed sections. Particular attention has been focused on the nucleation sites -Al ₂ O ₃ crystals and the relationship of such sites to surface features on the electropolished aluminum surface. It is evident that easy paths for the diffusion of oxygen, or the nucleation sites of -Al ₂ O ₃ crystals, are not distributed randomly over the electropolished aluminum surface, but form preferentially in the amorphous oxide layer grown over preexisting metal ridges. Thus, the diffusion of molecular oxygen through cracks in the amorphous oxide layer represents the most realistic and acceptable basis for explaining the local growth of the -Al ₂ O ₃ crystals in thermal oxide films on aluminum, although the cracks have not yet been observed directly.Present address: Alcan International, Ltd., Banbury Laboratories, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 7SP, United Kingdom.