Development of tailor-made synergistic cellulolytic enzyme system for saccharification of steam exploded sugarcane bagasse

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Temperature dependence of lasing wavelength in a GaInNAs laserdiode

The temperature dependence of lasing wavelength in 1.2-μm or 1.3-μm-range GaInNAs edge-emitting laser diodes (LD) was found to be small. It is almost independent of the characteristic temperature (T₀) and is equivalent to the temperature shift of the bandgap wavelength of GaInNAs (0.42 nm/°C). Since the dependence is smaller than that of 1.3-μm-range conventional InGaAsP LD's and also smaller than the required value (<0.48 nm/°C), it is concluded that the GaInNAs LD's are promising for use as 1.3-μm-range light sources because of their lasing-wavelength stability against temperature shift and a high T₀. The small dependence is due to the small effect of band filling on lasing wavelength from the deep quantum well in GaInNAs LD's     

Improved performance of Cu(InGa)Se2 thin-film solar cells using evaporated Cd-free buffer layers

Polycrystalline Cu(InGa)Se₂ (CIGS) thin-film solar cells using evaporated In_xSe_y and ZnIn_xSe_y buffer layers are prepared. The purpose of this work is to replace the chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layer with a continuously evaporated buffer layer. In this study, a major effort is made to improve the performance of CIGS thin-film solar cells with these buffer layers. The relationship between the cell performance and the substrate temperature for these buffer layers is demonstrated. Even at the high substrate temperature of about 550°C for the buffer layer, efficiencies of more than 11% were obtained. Furthermore, the I−V characteristics of the cells using these buffer layers are compared with cells using CdS buffer layers fabricated by chemical bath deposition method. We have achieved relatively high efficiencies of over 15% using both the ZnIn_xSe_y and the CdS buffer layers.     

Cyclopolymerization. Part XXXII radical polymerization of α-(2-phenylallyloxy)methylstyrene: synthesis of highly cyclized polymers with high glass transition temperatures and thermal stability

A new 1,6-diene, α-(2-phenylallyloxy)methylstyrene (1), was synthesized and its radical cyclopolymerizations were studied, since 1 is expected to yield highly cyclized polymers with thermal stability and high glass transition temperatures. A low homopolymerization tendency of the monofunctional counterpart of 1 can be assumed reasonably, because it is a derivative of α-methylstyrene with a low ceiling temperature. This means that intermolecular propagation leading to pendant unsaturations is hard to occur during the polymerization of 1, which results in the formation of highly cyclized polymers. In fact, the degree of cyclization of poly(1) obtained at 180 °C attained the value 99%. Structural studies using a monomeric cyclic compound obtained by the telomerization of 1 permitted to assign main repeating cyclic units of poly(1) to a six-membered ring. The poly(1)s with a higher degree of cyclization were found to be stable up to 300 °C on thermogravimetric analyses and their glass transition temperatures were detected at temperatures over 250 °C.     

Recognition of coherent swing in power systems and detection of step-out using power and current measured on tie lines

When a fault occurs in a large interconnected power system, several generators may swing coherently and form a group. Loss of synchronism may occur among groups of these generators. In order to develop a stabilizing control system, two new methods are proposed in this paper. The first method is to select generators which swing coherently. The method uses a new index that is based on the physical relation: when two generators swing coherently, the phase angle of a generator terminal voltage increases when the angle of the other generator increases, and decreases when the other decreases. To detect a loss of synchronism, the power P and current I measured on a line with the interval of a certain time period are used. By using this method, the position of the operating point of power system after disturbance on the power angle curve can be estimated. This means that the degree of stability can be observed with a small number of observations measured on a line. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 119(4): 22–31, 1997     

Research on performance improvement of magnetostrictive vibration power generator by frame material

As the performance of modules improved and the Internet became widespread, various electric appliances in daily life became connected to the Internet. Along with this, related to the method of supplying power to the module, attention is being paid to energy harvesting such as vibrational power generator. A magnetostrictive vibration generator comprising a magnetostrictive material (Fe‐Ga alloy) and a vibrating material is a promising device capable of generating small size and high power. However, selection of the optimum vibration material and analysis of the magnetic circuit for the magnetic characteristics of the Fe‐Ga alloy were insufficient, and it was thought that the vibration power generation device could not fully demonstrate the performance. In this paper, magnetic properties of monocrystalline Fe‐Ga alloy and vibrating material are grasped and magnetic analysis using finite element method is carried out. In addition, actually samples were prepared and compared with the results of magnetic analysis. From this result, we examined the effect of combinations of materials on device performance.     

Synthesis of a low-bandgap polymer bearing side groups containing phenoxy radicals

Poly(isothianaphthene methine) bearing di-tert-butylphenoxide in the side chain was prepared by reacting isothianaphthene and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde in the presence of POCl₃. A reference polymer with no hydroxy group in the side chain was also synthesized. Both polymers are characterized by a low-bandgap with value of ca. 1.3 eV obtained by optical absorption spectroscopy, and ca. 1.7 eV estimated from an electrochemical method. After treatment with PbO₂ as an oxidizer, phenoxy radicals were generated by oxidation in the polymer side groups. Optical absorption measurements and electron spin resonance (ESR) showed a characteristic signal due to phenoxy radicals. Magnetic properties of the polymer were examined with ESR and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements. The results suggested that the polymer shows paramagnetic behavior.     

The Role of Autophagy as a Mechanism of Toxicity Induced by Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Human Lung Cells

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising nanomaterials having unique physical and chemical properties, with applications in a variety of fields. In this review, we briefly summarize the intrinsic properties of highly purified multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs, HTT2800) and their potential hazardous effects on intracellular and extracellular pathways, which alter cellular signaling and impact major cell functions such as differentiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, and autophagy. A recent study suggested that the induction of autophagy by CNTs causes nanotoxicity. Autophagy was recently recognized as a critical cell death pathway, and autophagosome accumulation has been found to be associated with exposure to CNTs. Although autophagy is considered as a cytoprotective process, it is often observed in association with cell death, and the relationship between autophagy and cell death remains unclear. Our recent study suggests that the levels of autophagy-related genes (LC3B) and autophagosome formation are clearly up-regulated, along with an increase in numbers of autophagosome vacuoles. This review highlights the importance of autophagy as an emerging mechanism of CNT toxicity.     

Protective Role of Proton-Sensing TDAG8 in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury is characterized by the infiltration of neutrophils into lungs and the subsequent impairment of lung function. Here we explored the role of TDAG8 in lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administrated intratracheally. In this model, cytokines and chemokines released from resident macrophages are shown to cause neutrophilic inflammation in the lungs. We found that LPS treatment increased TDAG8 expression in the lungs and confirmed its expression in resident macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. LPS administration remarkably increased neutrophil accumulation without appreciable change in the resident macrophages, which was associated with increased penetration of blood proteins into BAL fluids, interstitial accumulation of inflammatory cells, and damage of the alveolar architecture. The LPS-induced neutrophil accumulation and the associated lung damage were enhanced in TDAG8-deficient mice as compared with those in wild-type mice. LPS also increased several mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the lungs or BAL fluids. Among these inflammatory mediators, mRNA and protein expression of KC (also known as CXCL1), a chemokine of neutrophils, were significantly enhanced by TDAG8 deficiency. We conclude that TDAG8 is a negative regulator for lung neutrophilic inflammation and injury, in part, through the inhibition of chemokine production.     

Vinyl ether‐based polyacetal polyols with various main‐chain structures and polyurethane elastomers prepared therefrom: Synthesis,structure, and functional properties

Novel acid degradable polyacetal polyols and polyacetal polyurethanes able to controlled acid degradation were developed. Polyacetal polyols with various main‐chain structures were synthesized by polyaddition of various vinyl ethers with a hydroxyl group [4‐hydroxy butyl vinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂? OH), 2‐hydroxy ethyl vinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂CH₂? OH), diethylene glycol monovinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂? OH), and cyclohexanedimethanol monovinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂? C₆H₁₀? CH₂? OH)] with p‐toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (TSAM) as a catalyst in the presence of the corresponding diols [1,4‐butandiol (HO? CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂? OH), ethylene glycol (HO? CH₂CH₂? OH), diethylene glycol (HO? CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂? OH), and 1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol (HO? CH₂? C₆H₁₀? CH₂? OH)], respectively. Polyacetal polyurethanes were prepared by a two‐step polymerization, using the synthesized polyacetal polyols, 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), and 1,4‐butandiol (BD) as a chain extender. Depending on the main‐chain structures, these polyurethanes had different glass transition temperature (from ?44 to 19 °C) and properties such as hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Polyurethanes containing the hydrophilic main‐chain exhibited the thermoresponsiveness and had the certain volume phase transition temperature (VPTT). The polyacetal polyurethanes were flexible elastomers around room temperature (～25 °C) and thermally stable (T_d ≥ 310 °C) and additionally exhibited smooth degradation with a treatment of aqueous acid in THF at room temperature to give the corresponding raw material diols. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44088.