Cost-efficiency trade-off and the design of thermoelectric power generators

The energy conversion efficiency of today's thermoelectric generators is significantly lower than that of conventional mechanical engines. Almost all of the existing research is focused on materials to improve the conversion efficiency. Here we propose a general framework to study the cost-efficiency trade-off for thermoelectric power generation. A key factor is the optimization of thermoelectric modules together with their heat source and heat sinks. Full electrical and thermal co-optimization yield a simple analytical expression for optimum design. Based on this model, power output per unit mass can be maximized. We show that the fractional area coverage of thermoelectric elements in a module could play a significant role in reducing the cost of power generation systems.     

Detection of unexpected recombinant DNA in maize grain

PCR detection of genetically modified (GM) line-specific recombinant DNA was carried out on Bt 11, Event 176 and Non-GM maize grain harvested in 1999. Of 100 grains of Bt 11 line, Event 176 specific DNA was detected in 11 grains. Of 30 grains of Event 176 line, Mon 810 or Bt 11 specific DNA was detected in 5 grains. In addition, Bt 11 or Event 176 specific DNA was detected in 4 of 30 Non-GM grains. These data suggest that maize grains (not seed) often contain DNAs of different lines from what they were expected to contain. Furthermore, quantitative PCR was performed to estimate the genotype of the Event 176 grains described above. The results showed that the genotype of all the grains containing different recombinant DNA is heterozygous. Therefore, it was considered that the grains containing the unintended recombinant DNA were not accidental contaminants, but that airborne pollination had introduced the recombinant DNA into the grains.     

Ethene/Ethane (C2H4/C2H6) Separation through an Inorganic–Organic Hybrid Membrane Containing Silver(I) Ions as Olefin Carriers, Using Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) as a Mediation Agent

Novel inorganic–organic membranes that contained Ag⁺ ions as olefin carriers were prepared using sol–gel and dip-coating processes. The permeance of the membranes for nitrogen, helium, ethane (C₂H₆), and ethene (C₂H₄) were evaluated using the single-gas permeation method at temperatures of 298, 373, and 423 K. The results showed that the selectivity of the membranes to C₂H₄ against C₂H₆ increased as the measurement temperature increased, because the decomplexation rate of C₂H₄ molecules from Ag⁺ sites is enhanced by increases in the temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry of the hybrid membranes and the performance of the membranes at 373 and 423 K indicated that poly( N -vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) had a role in increasing the flexibility of the inorganic network and also served as a mediation agent to fix Ag⁺ ions in the polymer segments, because of the coordination interaction between the Ag⁺ ions and the PVP.     

Partially Reduced Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticles Formed in Porous Glass Reaction Fields

This paper describes the formation of cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) particles ∼10 nm in diameter and their reduction by hydrogen gas in porous glasses. Nanoparticles of Cu₂O coated with metallic copper are expected to show high third-order optical nonlinear susceptibilities (χ⁽³⁾). The porous glass is a medium in which nanoparticles can be partially reduced without forming agglomerations. Images obtained using transmission electron microscopy showed that particles with the desired core-shell structure were actually formed, even though some particles were not reduced uniformly from the surface. The χ⁽³⁾/α (α: absorbance) values in relevant conditions (10⁻¹³ esu·cm) were similar to that of copper because of the formation of a byproduct of copper nanoparticles on reduction.     

Thermal stabilization of penicillolysin, a thermolabile 19 kDa Zn2+-protease, obtained by site-directed mutagenesis

Penicillolysin is a member of the clan MX and the family of M35 proteases. The enzyme is a thermolabile Zn(2+)- protease from Penicillium citrinum with a unique substrate profile. We expressed recombinant penicillolysin in Aspergillus oryzae and generated several site-directed mutants, R33E/E60R, A167E and T81P, with the intention of exploring thermal stabilization of this protein. We based our choice of mutations on the structures of homologous thermally stable enzymes, deuterolysin (EC 3.4.24.39) from A.oryzae and a peptidyl-Lys metallopeptidase (GfMEP) from the edible mushroom Grifora frondsa. The resulting mutant proteins exhibited comparable catalytic efficiency to the wild-type enzyme and some showed a higher tolerance to temperature.     

Development of Strategic Establishment of Technology Bases for a Fusion DEMO Reactor in Japan

The strategic establishment of technology bases required for the development of a fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO) has been discussed by joint endeavors throughout the Japanese fusion community. The mission of Fusion DEMO is to demonstrate the technological and economic feasibility of fusion energy. The basic concept of Fusion DEMO has been identified and the structure of technological issues to ensure the feasibility of this DEMO concept has been examined. The Joint-Core Team consisting of experts from the Japanese fusion community including industry has pointed out that DEMO should be aimed at steady power generation beyond several hundred thousand kilowatts, availability which must be extensible to commercialization, and overall tritium breeding sufficient to achieve fuel-cycle self-sufficiency. The necessary technological issues and activities have been sorted out along with 11 identified elements of DEMO, such as superconducting coils, blanket, divertor, and others. These will be arranged within a time line to lead to the Japanese fusion roadmap.     

Explanation of the thermal formation of dioxins from thermodynamic viewpoint

The thermal formation of dioxins is typical of recent environmental issues relating to metallurgy. To analyze the behavior of these toxic species, computer assisted thermodynamic assessments were extensively carried out. In the homogeneous gas phase equilibria of the C−O−H−Cl system, the formation of dioxins is usually observed below 300–350°C, but is observed at higher temperature under the condition of oxygen deficiency. It has become clear that the presence of enough oxygen and hydrogen, as well as a decrease in chlorine content, would be desirable to prevent dioxin formation. From a strict thermodynamic standpoint, dioxins are meta-stable products observed under the retardation of the carbon deposition reaction which must be very slow at low temperature. The effects of some inhibitors or accelerators on the formation of dioxins are also discussed. This article based on a presentation made in the symposium “2000 Spring Meeting of the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials”, held at Sunchon National University, Sunchon, Korea, April 21–22 under the auspices of The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials.     

A time-dependent threshold condition to determine the onset of AIDS

This study first considers the effects of “uninfectious” HIV-1 due to fatal mutations, and then analysis reveals that AIDS develops when the number of HIV-1 strains, i.e., antigenic diversity, is above a “time-dependent” threshold. This result is interesting because it suggests the possibility that the onset of AIDS could be dynamically determined. This dynamic behavior of the threshold may make the prediction of AIDS development difficult.     

Epidemic models and a self-repairing network with a simple lattice

We have proposed a self-repairing network where nodes are capable of repairing neighboring nodes by mutually copying. A critical point where faulty nodes can be eliminated has been investigated. This paper further studies the dynamics of eradicating faulty nodes by comparing the self-repairing network with mathematical epidemic models such as SIS models. It is shown that the self-repairing network, which is a probabilistic cellular automaton, can be regarded as an epidemic model in some restricted situations. This work was presented in part at the 12th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics. Oita, Japan, January 25–27, 2007     

Antibody-based computing

An application of the antibody’s flexible recognition (i.e. multi-reactivity) to antigenic epitopes to a combinatorial computing is just getting started. The present study discusses an antibody-based computation algorithm to solve a combinatorial problem: the stable marriage problem. The stable marriage problem supposes n men and n women, and each person ranks all members of the opposite sex in a strict order of preference. Under given preference lists, to detect all of “stable” n couples including no affair pairs means to solve this problem. Our algorithm replaces a man and a woman with an antigenic epitope and an antibody respectively, and re-scales a man (woman)’s preference to a woman (man) as strength of a binding affinity between an epitope to the man and an antibody to the woman. Under these settings, we demonstrate a parallel progression of immune reactions can solve the stable marriage problem. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008