Cellular synergy in the manifestation of accessory cell activity for in vitro antibody response

The accessory cell (A-cell) activity of murine splenic adherent cells (SAC) and peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) for in vitro anti-SRBC and anti-DNP-KLH antibody responses of spleen lymphoid cells was abolished by the depletion of Ia+ cells from SAC and PEC by treatment with anti-Ia alloantiserum plus complement. The surviving Ia- macrophages in SAC and PEC were incompetent to achieve the A-cell activity. We prepared a crude and a further purified nonmacrophage cell fraction (termed CF and NMF). Nearly 70% of CF cells and more than 90% of NMF cells were Ia+ cells. The mature macrophage content of CF was less than 2%, and that of NMF was virtually negligible; suspected dendritic cells were contained at 5 to 10% in CF and 20 to 30% in NMF. The majority of cells in CF and NMF were lymphoid cells. This offered no problem in these experiments, since CF and NMF were added to lymphoid cells, in order to investigate the A-cell activity, usually in a ratio of 1 to 100. Neither CF nor NMF was adequate by itself to manifest the A-cell activity. However, the combination of either CF or NMF with Ia- macrophages resulted in the development of high A-cell activity. This did not occur with use of CF depleted of Ia+ cells or of NMF treated with anti-Ia without complement. These results indicated that the synergy between Ia- macrophages and Ia+ cells, most probably Ia+ nonmacrophage cells, was effective in developing the A-cell activity. It was also found that the interaction between the lymphoid cell and the Ia+ participant in the A-cell activity was genetically restricted, but Ia- macrophages functioned across the H-2 barrier.     

Experimental study on thermal properties of frozen soils

A series of measurements of the effective thermal conductivity, specific heat and unfrozen-water content of various soils exposed to a cold environment have been carried out by a transient probe method and a calorimetric technique. The present experiments were performed at a very slow rate of cooling of the moist-soil and using four kinds of soil samples from fine to coarse grain-size. It was established that the amount of unfrozen-water in the frozen soil was dependent on the initial moisture content, the grain-size of the soil and the temperature (below 0°C). Measured values of the effective thermal conductivity and specific heat show a strong dependence on temperature, initial moisture content and grain-size of soil in the temperature range T = 0°C to ?10°C. The anomalous behavior of a decrease in the effective thermal conductivity of frozen soil for the finest grain-size with decreasing temperature (below 0°C) was observed for a large initial moisture content w = 30–40%.     

Phase transitions in U3O8−z: I, heat capacity measurements

The heat capacity of U₃O_8−z with various O/U ratios was measured in the range from 250 to 750 K, and λ-type heat capacity anomalies were found in each sample. The transition temperatures were 487 and 573 K for UO_2.663, 490 and 576 K for UO_2.656 and 508, 562 and 618 K for UO_2.640. The entropy changes of the transitions were 0.44 and 0.39 J K⁻¹mol⁻¹ for UO_2.663, 0.58 and 0.47 J K⁻¹mol⁻¹ for UO_2.656 and 0.62, 0.51 and 0.25 J K⁻¹mol⁻¹ for UO_2.640, increasing as O/U decreases. The enthalpy change due to the transition varied linearly with the transition temperature except for UO_2.640, showing the presence of the same mechanism of phase transition among the samples with various O/U ratios. The mechanism of the phase transition was discussed on the assumption that the transition is originated from the order-disorder rearrangement of U⁵⁺ and U⁶⁺ with a consequent displacement of atoms, similarly to the case of U₄O_9−y.     

High-peak-power picosecond optical pulse generation from highly RF-modulated InGaAsP DH diode laser

The feasibility for generating high-peak-power ultrashort optical pulses was demonstrated from a highly RF-modulated InGaAsP DC-PBH laser diode at 1.3 ?m for the first time. Measured pulse width is found to be approximately 28 ps at 7 mW averaged output power, and peak output power reached about 1.2 W at 210 MHz repetition frequency. Higher peak output and shorter optical pulses could be expected with this type of semiconductor diode laser in the near-infra-red region.     

Low-jitter design method based on Wn-domain jitter analysis for 10 Gbit/s clock and data recovery ICs

A low-jitter design method based on vn-domain jitter analysis for the clock and data recovery (CDR) ICs using the linear phase-locked loop (PLL) is proposed. Using this method, the loop parameters of the PLL can be optimised, which makes it possible to design the CDR IC for various targets.     

Reduction of thermal effects in a diode-end-pumped, composite Nd:YAG rod with a sapphire end

We present what is to our knowledge the first theoretical and experimental estimation of the thermal characteristics of a composite Nd:YAG rod with an Al(2)O(3) (sapphire) end in diode-end-pumped geometry. The peak temperature rise in the active segment is calculated to be reduced to 66% and the focal length of the thermal lens was measured to be reduced by 20% compared with a noncomposite Nd:YAG rod. By using a composite rod we successfully demonstrated the improvement of high-power performance that is due to reduction of thermally induced birefringence, which has not been observed in a composite rod with an undoped YAG end.     

Carbonization properties of carbonaceous substances oxidized by air blowing—I: Carbonization behaviors and chemical structure of residual oils oxidized by air blowing

The carbonization process of oxidized oils was investigated by the successive observation of the cokes at several intermediate stages with particular attention to the cocarbonization compatibility of the components, in order to understand how the medium mosaic texture was developed from the oxidized oils. When the oxidized oil was carbonized, very small anisotropic spheres appeared in the matrix, but, being fixed into the mosaic texture, they formed clusters with limited growth of their diameters. The n-hexane insoluble (nHI) and the n-hexane soluble (nHS) components in the, oxidized oil produced isotropic and flow textures in the cokes, respectively. These components did not allow the smooth growth of the anisotropic spheres because of their poor compatibility. Cocarbonization with some proper additives was found effective both in developing a flow texture from the nHI of the oxidized oil and producing a high coke yield. Chemical analyses of the components were performed in order to explain the compatibility.     

Photocatalytic partial oxidation of methylpyridine isomers on TiO2 particles under an anaerobic condition

Photocatalytic oxidation of methylpyridine isomers (2-methylpyridine, 3-methylpyridine, and 4-methylpyridine) was investigated in a mixed solution of acetonitrile and water or acetonitrile using various kinds of TiO₂ powders as photocatalysts. The main products from methylpyridine isomers were pyridinecarboxaldehyde isomers (2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, 3-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, and 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde). Rutile large TiO₂ particles showed the highest level of activity for oxidation of 2-methylpyridine probably because band bending was necessary for the oxidation of 2-methylpyridine. On the other hand, a fine particle having an anatase or rutile phase showed a higher level of activity than large TiO₂ particles for oxidation of 3-methylpyridine. A rutile fine particle showed the highest level of activity for the reaction. It was found that pure rutile or pure anatase particles were inactive for oxidation of 4-mathylpyridine. If the particles are not extremely small, pure rutile and pure anatase powders show fairly high levels of activity, and those containing both anatase and rutile phases show the highest level of activity. The activity of pure rutile particles was also enhanced by physically mixing them with a small amount of small anatase particles, which were inactive for this reaction. These results can be explained by the synergism between rutile and anatase particles. All of these reactions effectively proceeded even under anaerobic conditions. Photocatalytic reduction of methylpyridine isomers concomitantly proceeded on TiO₂ particles under the conditions used. These results suggest that the activities of TiO₂ photocatalysts for oxidation of methylpyridine isomers are dominated by the oxidation potential of alkylpiridine and band bending of TiO₂ particles.     

Theoretical analysis of transient recovery voltages when clearing a transformer secondary fault

An analytical formula for the transient recovery voltage and its derivative dv/dt across a circuit breaker has been derived for the case of a transformer secondary fault. A comparison of the calculated results with field test and EMTP simulation results has demonstrated it to have satisfactory accuracy. By applying the formula, the effects of various circuit parameters on the transient recovery voltage and its derivative dv/dt are elucidated. The derivative dv/dt, defined conventionally as the ratio of the crest value and the time to the crest, is found to be about two‐thirds of the maximum value of dv/dt given as a function of time. In addition, a formula for the critical circuit parameters at which dv/dt across a vacuum circuit breaker reaches the critical condition, that is, the circuit breaker fails to interrupt a fault current, is derived. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 134(3): 44–52, 2001