Properties of crystalline reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-adrenodoxin reductase from bovine adrenocortical mitochonria. I. Physicochemical properties of holo- and apo-NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase and interaction between non-heme iron proteins and the reductase

A crystalline NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase was obtained from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria and its properties were investigated. Its molecular weights and isoelectric point were estimated to be 51 000 and 5.4, respectively. Amino acid and sugar contents and the interaction between the apo-reductase and flavin of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase were investigated. Formation of a complex of bovine NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase with adrenodoxin, its apoadrenodoxin, or other non-heme iron proteins caused quenching of fluorescence of the tryptophanyl residue and bound FAD of the NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase. The results obatined suggest that adrenodoxin and apoadrenodoxin bind functionally to a site close to the tryptophanyl residue and the bound FAD of the reductase. The circular dichroism spectrum of oxidized NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase was measured in the ultraviolet and visible regions. This spectrum showed negative absorption in the visible region and was not appreciably influenced in either the ultraviolet or visible region by formation of a complex with adrenodoxin or apoadrenodoxin.     

An investigation on debris bed self-leveling behavior with non-spherical particles

Studies on debris bed self-leveling behavior with non-spherical particles are crucial in the assessment of actual leveling behavior that could occur in core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactors. Although in our previous publications, a simple empirical model (based model), with its wide applicability confirmed over various experimental conditions, has been successfully advanced to predict the transient leveling behavior, up until now this model is restricted to calculations of debris bed of spherical particles. Focusing on this aspect, in this study a series of experiments using non-spherical particles was performed within a recently developed comparatively larger scale experimental facility. Based on the knowledge and data obtained, an extension scheme was suggested with the intention to extend the base model to cover the particle-shape influence. The proposed scheme principally consists of two parts – with one part for correcting the terminal velocity of a single non-spherical particle, which is the key parameter in our base model, and the other for representing the additional particle–particle interactions caused by the shape-related parameters. Through detailed analyses, it is found that by coupling this scheme, good agreement between experimental and predicted results can be achieved for both spherical and non-spherical particles given current range of experimental conditions.     

真空中不同温度下典型脉冲功率领域用有机绝缘材料介电特性的研究

针对脉冲功率领域最常采用的环氧树脂、交联聚苯乙烯和聚乙烯3种典型绝缘材料,设计了一套适用于真空中且可以控温的标准三电极系统。在真空中对不同温度和频率下的介电参数(介电常数、介质损耗、表面电阻率和体积电阻率)进行了测试,并研究了烘烤对其介电性能的影响。结果表明:在不同的温度和频率下,3种材料中聚乙烯的εr和tanδ最小,环氧树脂最大;交联聚苯乙烯的体积电阻率和表面电阻率最大,环氧树脂和聚乙烯次之。烘烤可在一定程度上降低绝缘材料的介电常数和电阻率。综合比较3种材料的电性能和耐热性能,其中交联聚苯乙烯的性能最好,适用于真空脉冲功率领域绝缘。     

Impulse Withstand Voltage between Foil Conductors on Printed Wiring Board

The impulse flashover voltage (FOV) in air across a short gap between foil conductors on a printed wiring board was studied to obtain fundamental and remarkable characteristics that will be useful in the design of wiring on the board. Two types of conductor configuration on the test boards were studied. The studied gap distance (d) ranged from 20 mum to 1200 mum. The board thicknesses (t) and the foil thickness (s) were changed from 60 mum to 800 mum and from 6 mum to 18 mum, respectively. The following results were obtained in the two types of the conductor configuration. FOVs for the boards in the studied range are independent of the foil thickness. FOV is almost un-influenced by the board thickness in the gap distance range shorter than 30 mum or 50 mum. In the gap distance longer than this range, FOV characteristics strictly depend on the board thickness; FOV for t=60 mum steeply increases with an increase in the gap distance, and FOV for t=800 mum gradually increases with an increase in the gap distance. These experimental results were discussed basing upon the calculation results of electric field around the HV foil conductor edge.     

Charging characteristics on dielectric surface by differentcharging processes in vacuum

This paper describes charging characteristics on a dielectric surface in vacuum by electron irradiation and field emission by a triple junction under negative and positive DC HV applications. The authors measured the 2-D distribution of electrostatic charging on a dielectric surface in situ. Experimental results revealed that the negative charge distribution caused by the electron beam had a conical shape over the whole surface. On the other hand, for a triple junction, it was an acute distribution around the triple junction. Moreover, they quantitatively investigated the difference of the 2-D charging distribution, using certain shape parameters, between the two charging processes mentioned above. In addition, they examined the time decay characteristics of the surface potential on the dielectric in vacuum     

The risk of hepatitis C virus infection among blood donors in Osaka, Japan

A 70-year-old male presented with a plasma cell granuloma extending from the extracranial to the intracranial space. Findings of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and intraoperative observation indicated that the lesion extended from the temporal muscle to the subarachnoid space, penetrating the frontal bone. The subarachnoid lesion was composed of neutrophils indicating the presence of acute or subacute inflammation. The final diagnosis of the resected tumor was plasma cell granuloma. High levels of antibodies against Epstein-Barr (EB) virus in the cerebrospinal fluid and the immunohistochemical demonstration of EB nuclear antigens in the plasma cell granuloma suggested that EB virus infection was associated with the development of plasma cell granuloma in this patient.     

Swelling of hydrophilic polymers. IV

The swelling of five types of spherical crosslinked dextrans (Sephadex) that are either nonionic (G) or ionic [carboxymethyl (CM), sulphopropyl (SP), diethylaminoethyl (DEAE), and diethyl-(2-hydroxypropyl)aminoethyl (QAE)] in the same skeleton has been studied in water at different dissolved oxygen concentrations by microscopic observation and by dilatometry. The maximum specific volume, V_max/V₀ obtained by microscopic observation increased with the lowered dissolved oxygen concentration for each Sephadex. The change of the maximum specific volume was closely related to the changes of the dissolved oxygen concentrations. The maximum changes of the total volume took the larger negative values at the lower dissolved oxygen concentration. The effect of the difference in the dissolved oxygen on the change of the total volume with swelling was closely related to the viscosity B coefficient of the Jones-Dole equation. From these results, we conclude that the structure of water on the inside of the gel differs from that on the outside of the gel. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Calibration of the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer 3310 (APS-3310) with Polystyrene Latex Monodisperse Spheres and Oleic Acid Monodisperse Particles

We have calibrated the new, extended-range aerodynamic particle sizer (model APS-3310, TSI, Inc.) with polystyrene latex monodisperse spheres and compared the response to that of oleic acid monodisperse particles from 2.5 to 38.7 μm in diameter. The results compare well with previous findings and cover a larger size range permitted by the new instrument.