A pectoral fin analysis for diving rajiform-type fish robots by fluid dynamics

In this paper, we analyze a propulsive force generated from pectoral fins for a rajiform-type fish robot from fluid dynamic aspects. A pectoral fin of the rajiform-type fish robot is constructed by multiple fin rays, which move independently, and a film of pushing water. Then, the propulsive force of the fish robot is analyzed from the momentum of the fluid surrounding for every fin between fin rays. The total propulsive force for one pectoral fin is the sum of these momenta. The propulsive speed of a fish robot is determined from the difference of the propulsive force generated from pectoral fins, and the resistance force that the fish robot receives from the water when moving forward. The effectiveness of the proposed method is examined through numerical simulation and actual experimental results.     

Present Status of the Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory

The Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory (TML) is located 324 km from the seismic center of the first 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011. TML suffered peak ground acceleration of 372 Gal. The large 930 and 1030 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnets of TML were severely affected by the earthquake. The hybrid magnet and its control system were not significantly damaged. After the earthquake, serious electricity shortages occurred and our awareness of the importance of energy conservation increased. A control system for a hybrid magnet has been in development for several years. The system has sophisticated monitoring capability, detailed and rapid data recording, and is now nearing completion. The newly developed system provides detailed data; our ability to interpret this data and identify difficulties in the acquisition of critical data is improving. We are now beginning to optimize operations to reduce electricity consumption and achieve higher efficiency magnet operations.     

Coupled influence of non-ideal diffusion and multilayer asymmetric porous supports on Sieverts law pressure exponent for hydrogen permeation in composite Pd-based membranes

The behaviour of the pressure exponent in the Sieverts-type empirical law is evaluated for hydrogen permeation through Pd-based membranes under the influence of non-ideal internal diffusion and transport in an asymmetric multilayer porous support. The results show that the non-ideal diffusion causes the pressure exponent to be non-monotone within the temperature range investigated (300–500 °C), showing a minimum point indicating the passage from slower internal diffusion to slower transport in support. Additionally, a detailed analysis shows that the maximum transmembrane pressure difference (in terms of maximum feed pressure with constant permeate pressure) is the only operating parameter affecting the uncertainty degree by which the pressure exponent is evaluated. This analysis also shows that the Sieverts-type empirical law can be fully used in the presence of supports. This suggests that an overall transport mechanism resulting from a combination in series/parallel of different elementary mechanisms obeying this law can be also described by the same type of law with a different value of pressure exponent and permeance.     

INTERFACIAL ADSORPTION OF β-DIKETONES IN VIGOROUSLY STIRRED HEPTANE/AQUEOUS PHASE SYSTEMS

Interfacial adsorptivity of seven β-diketones, including five trifluoromethyl-derivatives, was investigated in vigorously stirred liquid-liquid systems composed of heptane and aqueous phases. Preferential adsorption of the corresponding enolate ions at the interface generated by stirring was observed in all the systems. It was shown that the interfacial adsorptivity is governed by the distribution constant and the dissociation constant, which determine the distribution equilibria between bulk phases, and the adsorption constant, the saturated interfacial concentration and the total interfacial area, which characterize the Langmuir isotherm. Between the logarithmic values of the adsorption constant and the distribution constant, a linear relationship was found out.     

Vitamin K2 and its derivatives induce apoptosis in leukemia cells and enhance the effect of all-trans retinoic acid

Geranylgeraniol, a polyprenylalcohol composing the side chain of vitamin K2 (VK2), was previously reported to be a potent inducer of apoptosis in tumor cell lines (Ohzumi H et al, J Biochem 1995; 117: 11-13). We examined the apoptosis-inducing ability of VK2 (menaquinone 3 (MK3), MK4 and MK5) and its derivatives such as phytonadione (VK1), as well as polyprenylalcohols with side chains of various lengths including farnesol (C15-OH; FO), geranylgeraniol (C20-OH; GGO), and geranylfarnesol (C25-OH; GFO) toward leukemia cells in vitro. MK3, MK4, MK5 and GFO (at 10 microM) showed a potent apoptosis-inducing activity for all freshly isolated leukemia cells tested and for leukemia cell lines such as NB4, an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)-derived cell line and MDS92, a cell line derived from a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome, although there were some differences depending on the cells tested. In contrast, VK1 showed no effect on any of the leukemia cells. The combination of MK5 plus all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) resulted in enhanced induction of apoptosis in both freshly isolated APL cells and NB4 cells as compared to each reagent alone. These data suggest the possibility of using VK2 and its derivatives for the treatment of myelogenous leukemias, including APL.     

Inactivation of multiple tumor-suppressor genes involved in negative regulation of the cell cycle, MTS1/p16INK4A/CDKN2, MTS2/p15INK4B, p53, and Rb genes in primary lymphoid malignancies

It is now evident that the cell cycle machinery has a variety of elements negatively regulating cell cycle progression. However, among these negative regulators in cell cycle control, only 4 have been shown to be consistently involved in the development of human cancers as tumor suppressors: Rb (Retinoblastoma susceptibility protein), p53, and two recently identified cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p16INK4A/MTS1 and p15INK4B/MTS2. Because there are functional interrelations among these negative regulators in the cell cycle machinery, it is particularly interesting to investigate the multiplicity of inactivations of these tumor suppressors in human cancers, including leukemias/lymphomas. To address this point, we examined inactivations of these four genes in primary lymphoid malignancies by Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analyses. We also analyzed Rb protein expression by Western blot analysis. The p16INK4A and p15INK4B genes were homozygously deleted in 45 and 42 of 230 lymphoid tumor specimens, respectively. Inactivations of the Rb and p53 genes were 27 of 91 and 9 of 173 specimens, respectively. Forty-one (45.1%) of 91 samples examined for inactivations of all four tumor suppressors had one or more abnormalities of these four tumor-suppressor genes, indicating that dysregulation of cell cycle control is important for tumor development. Statistical analysis of interrelations among impairments of these four genes indicated that inactivations of the individual tumor-suppressor genes might occur almost independently. In some patients, disruptions of multiple tumor-suppressor genes occurred; 4 cases with p16INK4A, p15INK4B, and Rb inactivations; 2 cases with p16INK4A, p15INK4B, and p53 inactivations; and 1 case with Rb and p53 inactivations. It is suggested that disruptions of multiple tumor suppressors in a tumor cell confer an additional growth advantage on the tumor.     

Ejection of Clusters from Liquid Beam Surface by IR Laser Irradiation

A continuous liquid flow of an aqueous solution of phenol (Phe) in a vacuum (a liquid beam) was irradiated with an IR laser at 2.85 μm, which is resonant to the vibrational absorption band of the liquid water. The Phe (H₂O)_N, ejected from the liquid beam surface into the gas phase, was ionized by a UV laser at 270 nm into hydrated phenol cluster ions, Phe⁺ (H₂O)_n (n = 0 − 30), and analyzed by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The velocity distributions of the product cluster ions were derived from the spatial distributions measured at different elapsed times after the IR laser irradiation. The results and the analysis show that dense neutral clusters are ejected from surface regions locally heated by the intense IR laser.