Biosurfactant-and-Bioemulsifier Produced by a Promising Cunninghamella echinulata Isolated from Caatinga Soil in the Northeast of Brazil

A Mucoralean fungus was isolated from Caatinga soil of Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil, and was identified as Cunninghamella echinulata by morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. This strain was evaluated for biosurfactant/bioemulsifier production using soybean oil waste (SOW) and corn steep liquor (CSL) as substrates, added to basic saline solution, by measuring surface tension and emulsifier index and activity. The best results showed the surface water tension was reduced from 72 to 36 mN/m, and an emulsification index (E₂₄) of 80% was obtained using engine oil and burnt engine oil, respectively. A new molecule of biosurfactant showed an anionic charge and a polymeric chemical composition consisting of lipids (40.0% w/w), carbohydrates (35.2% w/w) and protein (20.3% w/w). In addition, the biosurfactant solution (1%) demonstrated its ability for an oil displacement area (ODA) of 37.36 cm², which is quite similar to that for Triton X-100 (38.46 cm²). The stability of the reduction in the surface water tension as well as of the emulsifier index proved to be stable over a wide range of temperatures, in pH, and in salt concentration (4%–6% w/v). The biosurfactant showed an ability to reduce and increase the viscosity of hydrophobic substrates and their molecules, suggesting that it is a suitable candidate for mediated enhanced oil recovery. At the same time, these studies indicate that renewable, relatively inexpensive and easily available resources can be used for important biotechnological processes.     

Application of nuclear energy for environmentally friendly hydrogen generation

It is universally admitted that hydrogen is one of the best energy media and its demand will increase greatly in the near future. However, little hydrogen exists naturally, so that how to generate hydrogen without bringing forth much CO₂${}_2$ will be very important research subject. Hydrogen generation from water using nuclear energy is one of the solutions for this problem. Especially, the high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) has a possibility to generate hydrogen economically compared with other types of nuclear reactors. As for long-lived radioactive waste to be generated by nuclear reactors, it is expected to significantly reduce its burden to the human environment by applying transmutation technologies. This report describes the feature of the hydrogen generation with HTGR and the development of the accelerator-driven subcritical system to reduce radioactive waste ongoing at JAEA.     

Prism-pair interferometry by homodyne interferometers with a common light source for high-accuracy measurement of the absolute refractive index of glasses

A prism-pair interferometer comprising two homodyne interferometers with a common light source was developed for high-precision measurements of the refractive index of optical glasses with an uncertainty of the order of 10(-6). The two interferometers measure changes in the optical path length in the glass sample and in air, respectively. Uncertainties in the absolute wavelength of the common light source are cancelled out by calculating a ratio between the results from the interferometers. Uncertainties in phase measurement are suppressed by a quadrature detection system. The combined standard uncertainty of the developed system is evaluated as 1.1×10(-6).     

Notch effect on creep–fatigue life for Sn–3.5Ag solder

This paper studies the creep–fatigue crack initiation and failure lives of Sn–3.5Ag solder notched specimens focused on the multiaxial strain at the notch root. Push–pull creep–fatigue tests were performed using three circumferential notched specimens using four kinds of creep–fatigue strain waveforms. Multiaxial strains at the notched section were calculated by finite element (FE) analysis under four kinds of creep–fatigue loading. Creep–fatigue damage laws were applied for evaluating the crack initiation and failure lives using the multiaxial strains obtained by the FE analysis. von Mises equivalent strain at the notch root estimated the crack initiation lives with a large scatter as well as the failure lives. Instead, the mean value of von Mises equivalent strain over the cross section of the notch root estimated the crack initiation and failure lives with a small scatter.     

First-principles study of structure,vacancy formation,and strength of bcc Fe/V<Subscript>4</Subscript>C<Subscript>3</Subscript> interface

Voids are representative of the damage process in both creep and ductile fractures. Although the matrix/precipitate interface has been considered the preferential nucleation site for voids, the relationship between the atomic structure of this interface and the nucleation mechanism of a void has never been sufficiently investigated. In this study, the bcc Fe/V₄C₃ interface is selected as a model interface between a matrix and precipitate. The vacancy formation energy and intrinsic mechanical strength at this interface are investigated using a first-principles calculation because they should be related with the nucleation of creep and ductile voids, respectively. Within the considered interface, the Fe vacancy is found to be dominant. When the Baker–Nutting orientation relationship is satisfied at the interface, the calculated intrinsic mechanical strength of the interface is 23.8 GPa. However, when the geometric coherence at the interface is low as compared to that of the Baker–Nutting orientation relationship, it is found that the interfacial mechanical strength is significantly weakened. At each interface, it is found that the back-bond of the interface determined the interfacial strength because of the strongly bonded Fe–C on the interface. The nucleation mechanism of a void at the matrix/precipitate interface is discussed based on the present findings. It is suggested that local decohesion at the matrix/precipitate interface should be the origin of the nucleation of a ductile void.     

BEOL工艺统合Integration--low-k Dual/Damascene的形成

1简介 当前,从成膜方法来讲,ILD loW-k材料大致上分为两类:一类是以SiCOH为代表的CVD(化学气相淀积)膜,另一类是SOD(旋转涂层)膜,它包括有机的、无机的和SiCOH.     

Study of asynchronizing phenomena using generator model with field mutual leakage reactance

This paper describes the effect of mutual leakage reactance in the rotor circuit on the analysis of generator transient characteristics. The authors derive a detailed equivalent circuit model for a 48P‐15,750‐kVA generator, analyze sudden short circuits and asynchronization phenomena of the generator by simulations with an electromagnetic transients program (ATP‐EMTP), and compare the results with experimental data. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 153(3): 31–40, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20147     

Advanced glycation end products in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in the chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and have been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we examined the immunohistochemical localization of AGEs, amyloid beta protein (A beta), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and tau protein in senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases (progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease, and Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia complex). In most senile plaques (including diffuse plaques) and CAA from Alzheimer's brains, AGE and ApoE were observed together. However, approximately 5% of plaques were AGE positive but A beta negative, and the vessels without CAA often showed AGE immunoreactivity. In Alzheimer's disease, AGEs were mainly present in intracellular NFTs, whereas ApoE was mainly present in extracellular NFTs. Pick's bodies in Pick's disease and granulovacuolar degeneration in various neurodegenerative diseases were also AGE positive. In non-Alzheimer neurodegenerative diseases, senile plaques and NFTs showed similar findings to those in Alzheimer's disease. These results suggest that AGE may contribute to eventual neuronal dysfunction and death as an important factor in the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.     

NRZ operation at 40 Gb/s of a compact module containing an MQW electroabsorption modulator integrated with a DFB laser

NRZ operation at 40 Gb/s has been successfully performed using a very compact module of a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) electroabsorption modulator integrated with a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser. While the DFB laser is injected with a constant current, the integrated MQW electroabsorption modulator is driven with a 10-Gb/s electrical NRZ signal. A clearly opened eye diagram has been observed in the modulated light from the modulator. And a receiver sensitivity of -27.2 dBm at 10/sup -9/ has been experimentally confirmed in the bit-error-rate (BER) performance.     

Expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor in oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) was isolated as an endothelial cell mitogen from platelets. In this study, we investigated the expression of PD-ECGF and counted microvessels in 58 oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) specimens by an immunohistochemical technique to examine their prognostic significance and performed tumor in vitro sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin as determined by a bioluminescence assay of the ATP values of tumor cells after continuous exposure. The percentage of PD-ECGF-positive tumor cells (PD-ECGF score) was correlated with the frequency of the recurrence of disease (P=0.0043) but not with sex, tumor size, metastasis, or clinical stage. Overall survival of the high PD-ECGF expression group (>40% PD-ECGF score) was shorter than the low expression (<40%) group (P=0.0365). Vessel count was correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage. The survival of patients with hypervascularity (more than the median of intratumor vessel counts, >82) was shorter than that of those with hypovascularity (vessel count <81, P=0.0446). However, there was no association between PD-ECGF expression and vessel count. Cox proportional multivariate analysis showed that PD-ECGF expression was the most significant independent prognostic indicator for overall survival. The susceptibility to 5-FU cytotoxicity in the extremely high PD-ECGF expression groups (>70% of PD-ECGF score) was significantly higher than that in the low group, whereas there was no difference in their sensitivity to cisplatin. These results showed that carcinoma cells with high PD-ECGF expression were sensitive to 5-FU in spite of poor prognosis. These data provide further information when deciding on adjuvant therapy for oral and oropharyngeal SCCs.