Preparation of Ba2YCu3O7-δ Thin Films with Preferred Orientation through an Organometallic Route

Superconducting Ba₂YCu₃O_7-δ thin films were prepared through an organometallic route. Single-phase Ba₂YCu₃O_7-δ thin films with preferred orientation were successfully prepared on SrTiO₃ (100) single-crystal substrates at 800°C by a dip coating method using partially hydrolyzed Ba-Y-Cu organometallic solutions. Preferentially oriented Ba₂YCu₃-O_7-δ thin films were also prepared on MgO (100) substrates. By controlling the partial hydrolysis conditions, a coating solution for precursor thin films was kept accurately at the stoichiometric composition. The use of ozone gas during the pyrolysis of the precursor thin films was found to suppress the formation of BaCO₃. Ba₂YCu₃O_7-δ thin films with c -axis orientation perpendicular to a SrTiO₃ (100) substrate, which were heat-treated at 900°C for 15 min, exhibited a superconductivity transition with an onset of 90 K and an end of 75 K.     

Synthesis of Cubic Boron Nitride from Boron Nitride Synthesized by Pressure Pyrolysis of Borazine

Cubic BN was synthesized under high-temperature and -pressure conditions from BN powder formed by pressure pyrolysis of borazine below 700°C and 100 MPa. The conversion of BN powder to cubic BN was strongly influenced by the residual hydrogen identified by the BH/BN ratio of IR absorption band. The activation energy for cubic BN synthesis from BN powder-20 mol% AIN was 46 kJ/mol, when the starting BN was synthesized at 250°C. A mixture of BN powder and cubic BN particles was converted to cubic BN in a 100% yield by heat treatment at 1800°C and 6.5 GPa without any catalyst. The presence of cubic BN particles does enhance the conversion to cubic BN from BN powder. The energy required for the transformation of starting BN to cubic BN in the presence of cubic BN seed was 355 kJ/mol.     

Liquefaction and dechlorination of hydrothermally treated waste mixture containing plastics with glass powder

Additive effects of glass powder upon the product yields and chlorine distribution after liquefaction of hydrothermally pretreated mixed waste (HMW) are compared with liquefaction of HMW with any one of water, quartz sand, or glass powder plus water. As a result, addition of either water or quartz sand did not affect liquefaction and dechlorination of HMW. Further, water (5 g) addition did not enhance liquefaction and dechlorination of HMW with glass powder. On the other hand, after liquefaction of HMW with glass powder, the yields of chlorine in the gas and water insoluble constituents decreased and the chlorine yield in the water-soluble constituent increased significantly. Because sodium in glass powder dissolved in a small amount (0.5 g) of water resulted from dehydration of HMW during liquefaction. Further, hydrogen chloride derived from polyvinylchloride in HMW was neutralized by ion exchange between H(+) and Na(+) dissolved in a small amount of water forming NaCl in the Residue (water-soluble) constituent. Therefore, most of chlorine in HMW was removed easily by water extraction of the Residue constituent after liquefaction of HMW with glass powder. Further, upgrading of HMW into the oil constituent was enhanced due to inhibition of production of chlorine containing organic compounds. Accordingly, it was clarified that glass powder was the most effective additive for liquefaction and dechlorination of HMW.     

Utilization of adzuki bean extract as a natural antioxidant in cured and uncured cooked pork sausages

A commercial adzuki bean extract (AE) was evaluated for antioxidant effectiveness in cured and uncured cooked pork sausages. TBARS values, instrumental color evaluation and sensory panel scores were assessed. For uncured sausages, AE at 0.2% was equally effective as 0.1% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in reducing TBARS values. Similarly, AE at 0.2% significantly (P<0.01) reduced the TBARS in cured sausages. Incorporation of 0.2% AE into sausages produced higher (P<0.05) CIE lab color a* value and lower (P<0.05) L* and b* values. Sensory panels did not detect any difference in color, odor, taste, flavor, and overall acceptance in uncured pork sausages with addition of 0.2% AE. However, there were adverse changes in the color and odor of cured sausages, even though the taste, flavor, and overall acceptance were similar. Therefore, the results suggest that AE is a potential antioxidant.     

Family M42 aminopeptidase from the syntrophic bacterium Symbiobacterium thermophilum: characterization using recombinant protein

The chromosomal DNA of the syntrophic thermophile Symbiobacterium thermophilum contains open reading frames of the genes encoding family M42 aminopeptidases, Pep1079, Pep1080, and Pep1081. To characterize these peptidases, the genes were cloned into Escherichia coli and overexpressed. Our experiments using the recombinant proteins confirmed that Pep1079, Pep1080, and Pep1081 are components of arginyl or lysinyl aminopeptidases that require Co2+ for enzymatic activity. Coexistence of Pep1079 and Pep1080 is necessary for expressing high peptidase activity. Pep1081 enhances the activity of Pep1079 and Pep1080.     

Characteristics of chlorophyll formation of the aerial microalga Coelastrella striolata var. multistriata and its application for environmental biomonitoring

The growth and ammonium uptake of the aerial microalga Coelastrella striolata var. multistriata, which was isolated from the surface of rocks, were characterized in this study. The specific growth rate of the alga was mu=0.3 d(-1), as calculated in the growth logarithmic phase. The algal cells were able to remove almost 100% of the ammonium ions from medium in 5 d, with the removal rate of ammonium-N being 0.4 mg/l/h. It was shown that the alga has a unique ability to be a reddish orange to green color depending on the nitrogen source concentration in the medium. Astaxanthin, adonixanthin, canthaxanthin, and beta-carotene were found in the reddish orange cells of the alga. The assessment of water pollution was attempted using this aerial microalga. When the reddish orange alga was incubated in the experimental medium with added ammonium-, nitrate-, or urea-N as a nitrogen source, an approximately linear relationship existed between the nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll formation. Using the chlorophyll formation of the alga, for example, it was possible to estimate spectrophotometrically the total nitrogen content in water collected from aquatic systems. Biofunctional materials for environmental biomonitoring using photosynthetic microorganisms are called green devices in this study.     

Fracture and acoustic emission characteristics of glass fiber reinforced plastics panels for hot water

This study deals with the fracture process and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of a randomly oriented E-glass fiber mat reinforcement with a crosslinked polyester. These panels were evaluated after they were immersed in hot water. The fiber volume content of the panel was 19%. Glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) panels wer immersed in water at 81°C. Bending and AE monitoring tests were Performed and after bending, the cross-section of the specimen was observed by an optical microscope and SEM. The influence of degradation, due to water immersion, on the changes of fracture process of GFRP is discussed. The dominant fracture mode of the virgin specimen was matrix cracks, whereas that of the immersed specimen was debondings at the fiber bundle/matrix and fiber/matrix interfaces. This change was caused by reduction of the bonding strength at the interface. The scale of fracture can be estimated by both AE amplitude and AE energy and this estimation method was used to estimate the fracture mode changes of GFRP panels immersed in hot water.     

Chain matching between hydrocarbon and fatty acid as interfacial phenomena

According to the investigations of Cameron and his coworkers^1–5 into the chain-matching phenomena between normal paraffin as a solvent and straight-chain fatty acid as an additive, the optimum condition in boundary lubrication is attained when the chain lengths of the additive and solvent are equal. A series of experiments has been conducted over the past ten years on the role of the chain-matching effect, not only on boundary lubrication but also widely on relevant interfacial phenomena. The results of the investigations are discussed.     

Cytoskeletal Protein 4.1G Is Essential for the Primary Ciliogenesis and Osteoblast Differentiation in Bone Formation

The primary cilium is a hair-like immotile organelle with specific membrane receptors, including the receptor of Hedgehog signaling, smoothened. The cilium organized in preosteoblasts promotes differentiation of the cells into osteoblasts (osteoblast differentiation) by mediating Hedgehog signaling to achieve bone formation. Notably, 4.1G is a plasma membrane-associated cytoskeletal protein that plays essential roles in various tissues, including the peripheral nervous system, testis, and retina. However, its function in the bone remains unexplored. In this study, we identified 4.1G expression in the bone. We found that, in the 4.1G-knockout mice, calcium deposits and primary cilium formation were suppressed in the trabecular bone, which is preosteoblast-rich region of the newborn tibia, indicating that 4.1G is a prerequisite for osteoblast differentiation by organizing the primary cilia in preosteoblasts. Next, we found that the primary cilium was elongated in the differentiating mouse preosteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1, whereas the knockdown of 4.1G suppressed its elongation. Moreover, 4.1G-knockdown suppressed the induction of the cilia-mediated Hedgehog signaling and subsequent osteoblast differentiation. These results demonstrate a new regulatory mechanism of 4.1G in bone formation that promotes the primary ciliogenesis in the differentiating preosteoblasts and induction of cilia-mediated osteoblast differentiation, resulting in bone formation at the newborn stage.