Electroviscous effect in dilute suspensions of ionic polymer latices

The viscosity of dilute suspensions of ionic polymer latices was measured using a variable-shear capillary viscometer, a rotational viscometer and an Ubbelohde viscometer. The viscosity of the suspension was much larger than the Einstein theoretical value and showed a marked shear-thinning behaviour, due to the electroviscous effect. The dependence of the reduced viscosity of latex suspensions on latex concentration, salt concentration and solvent was essentially the same as that of linear ionic polymer solutions. Counterion effect was also investigated.     

Deoxidation of molten titanium by electron-beam remelting technique

The deoxidation of molten titanium was attempted by aluminum suboxide evolution in an electron-beam remelting furnace. Titanium aluminum alloy was deoxidized to about 0.05 to 0.01 wt pct oxygen in a few minutes by adding aluminum to the melt. Aluminum activity in the alloy was estimated by the evaporation rate of aluminum. formerly Graduate Student, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo     

Development of a Custom LSI for Industrial Data Communication

A new custom LSI for industrial data communication systems has been developed. This LSI provides all of the functions required for data communication between control equipment and plants without any additional circuits or software. It is also versatile enough to be adaptable to many kinds of industrial control systems.     

Entrepreneurial Innovation: Beyond Schumpeter

The Schumpeterian model of entrepreneurial action has been deeply influential in the study of entrepreneurship. This article examines the response to this model of the Indian researcher Mathew Manimala, published in Creativity and Innovation Management, Volume 2, number 3 and links it to the ‘value chain’ concept advocated by Michael Porter. This provides a scheme for stimulating intrapreneurship (entrepreneurial activities within large corporations), which requires the loosening of traditional boundaries between professional departments, and an acceptance of multi-function team processes.     

Readout characteristics of a non-circular aperture mounted on an optical head slider flying above a medium having sub-100-nm-long patterns

The near-field principle combined with thin-film gas-lubricated slider bearing technology is thought to be one of the most promising breakthroughs to overcome the difficult optical diffraction limit (or wavelength shortening limit), which governs traditional optical recording performance. In light of this, we have demonstrated high linear density (150 nm pattern length) and high speed 10 MHz readout signals using the combination of a tapered circular aperture and a planar lens mounted on a quartz slider, flying above a metal patterned medium. In order to further improve both the spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of this device, it is essential to minimize the spacing and laser power throughput of an aperture. Also investigated was the effectiveness of a non-circular aperture, which has approximately triangular configuration in combination with polarized light in simultaneously improving spatial resolution and increasing signal output. In this paper, we confirmed the predicted effectiveness on more practical condition of both high speed and compactness of head construction using a sub-micrometer size non-circular aperture, which was mounted on a 1.5-mm-long miniaturized optical head slider, flying above a ROM medium having sub-100-nm-long chromium patterns. The influence of the electric-field direction of the incident light and aperture to medium spacing on the readout signal are carefully evaluated by flying the aperture at spacing down to less than 50 nm.     

New magnetic implant material for interstitial hyperthermia

Magnetic properties and heat generation characteristics of a bio-compatible ceramic Mg_1+xFe_2–2xTi_xO₄ system have been investigated as an implant material for the magnetic induction hyperthermia. Curie temperature (T_c) of the ceramic decreases with increasing x; and become T_c, 350 K at x ç0:35 and, 315 K at x ç 0:38; which is suitable Curie temperature for implant material. The temperature of ceramic as a function of time under the high frequency alternating magnetic field is self-controlled at T_c.

The surface temperature of a powder injection sphere cancer model, which was a mixture of the agar phantom and the ceramic powder implant, and the temperature distribution around the sphere set in the pure agar phantom matrix have been measured. The result is in good agreement with calculation using a finite element method (FEM). It was found that the temperature distribution inside of the sphere and the minimum quantity of Mg_1+xFe_2–2xTi_xO₄ necessary for hyperthermia could be estimated by the FEM calculation.     

Indoor sorption of surrogates for sarin and related nerve agents

Sorption rate parameters were determined for three organophosphorus (OP) compounds [dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), diethyl ethylphosphonate (DEEP), and triethyl phosphate (TEP)] as surrogates for the G-type nerve agents sarin (GB), soman (GD), and tabun (GA). OP surrogates were injected and vaporized with additional volatile organic compounds into a 50 m3 chamber finished with painted wallboard. Experiments were conducted at two furnishing levels: (i) chamber containing only hard surfaces including a desk, a bookcase, tables, and chairs and (ii) with the addition of plush materials including carpet with cushion, draperies, and upholstered furniture. Each furnishing level was studied with aged and new painted wallboard. Gas-phase concentrations were measured during sealed chamber adsorb and desorb phases and then fit to three mathematical variations of a previously proposed sorption model having a surface sink and allowing for an embedded sink. A four-parameter model allowing unequal transport rates between surface and embedded sinks provided excellent fits for all conditions. To evaluate the potential effect of sorption, this model was incorporated into an indoor air quality simulation model to predict indoor concentrations of a G-type agent and a nonsorbing agent for hypothetical outdoor releases with shelter-in-place (SIP) response. Sorption was simulated using a range of parameters obtained experimentally. Simulations considered outdoor Gaussian plumes of 1- and 5-h duration and infiltration rates of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.9 h(-1). Indoor toxic loads (TL) for a 10-h SIP were calculated as integral C2 dt for a G-type agent. For the 5-h plume, sheltering reduced TLs for the nonsorbing agent to approximately 10-65% of outdoor levels. Analogous TLs for a G-type agent were 2-31% or 0.3-12% of outdoor levels assuming slow or moderate sorption. The relative effect of sorption was more pronounced for the longer plume and higher infiltration rates.     

p27 Is a Critical Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a recently identified chronic liver disease, which progresses to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As the number of patients studied to date has been limited, clinically useful prognostic biomarkers of NASH-related HCC have not been available. In this study, we investigated the status of a cell-cycle regulator, p27, in NASH-related HCC. p27 has been regarded as a prognostic factor in various types of cancer patients. A total of 22 cases with NASH-related HCC were analyzed for p27 protein expression, and phosphorylation at threonine 157 (T157) and serine 10 (S10) by immunohistochemical analysis. The correlation of p27 with tumor characteristics, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival was analyzed. p27 expression was decreased in 13 HCCs (59%), and was significantly correlated with enlarged tumor size (p = 0.01) and increased cell proliferation (p < 0.01). Phospho-p27 at T157 and S10 was detected in four (18%) and seven (32%) cases, respectively, and patients positive for phospho-p27 (S10) showed reduced DFS (hazard ratio 7.623, p = 0.016) by univariate analysis. Further studies with more patients are required to verify the usefulness of p27 as a biomarker for predicting tumor recurrence in NASH patients.     

Varying the Directionality of Protein Catalysts for Aldol and Retro-Aldol Reactions

Natural aldolase enzymes and created retro-aldolase protein catalysts often catalyze both aldol and retro-aldol reactions depending on the concentrations of the reactants and the products. Here, we report that the directionality of protein catalysts can be altered by replacing one amino acid. The protein catalyst derived from a scaffold of a previously reported retro-aldolase catalyst, catalyzed aldol reactions more efficiently than the previously reported retro-aldolase catalyst. The retro-aldolase catalyst efficiently catalyzed the retro-aldol reaction but was less efficient in catalyzing the aldol reaction. The results indicate that protein catalysts with varying levels of directionality in usually reversibly catalyzed aldol and retro-aldol reactions can be generated from the same protein scaffold.