Effects of polyglycerol esters of fatty acids and ethylene‐vinyl acetate co‐polymer on crystallization behavior of biodiesel

Biodiesel fuels (BDF) have many problems in the cold due to their crystallization properties. In particular, precipitation of large crystals of high‐melting fractions in BDF at low temperatures remarkably changes cold flow property of BDF and, thereby, it increases the values of cold filter plugging point. In this study, we evaluated polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (PGE) and ethylene‐vinyl acetate co‐polymer (EVA) as chemical additives to improve the cold flow property of palm oil‐based FAME (PFME). The results of solid fat content measurement indicate that the simultaneous addition of PGE and EVA showed synergistic effects on suppression of crystallization of PFME, however such effect was not observed when EVA was used alone. DSC thermograms indicated that the PGE additives not only decreased the crystallization temperature but also kinetically suppressed the crystal growth. Polarized light microscopy showed that the simultaneous addition of PGE and EVA led to the formation of considerably small and fine‐dispersed crystals of PFME. These results indicate that combined effects of PGE and EVA caused the formation of fine‐dispersed PFME crystals, which could improve the viscous properties of palm oil‐based BDF at relatively cold temperatures.     

Computer simulation study on the shear-induced phase separation in semi-dilute polymer solutions by using Ianniruberto-Marrucci model

In our previous study, a computer simulation scheme based on Doi-Onuki theory is proposed to simulate the dynamics of the shear-induced phase separation in semi-dilute polymer solutions [KOBUNSHI RONBUNSHU 2007, 64, 324]. The scheme employs Ianniruberto-Marrucci model as a constitutive equation to express the viscoelastic behavior of the solution explicitly. The scheme enables us to simulate the time-evolution of stress as well as that of shear-induced structure upon shear-jump. In this study, we focus on the conformation of polymer chains. The dynamics of the polymer chains agrees with those in the “solvent squeeze” model which interprets the shear-induced phase separation phenomena in semi-dilute polymer solutions by Saito et al. [Macromolecules 1999, 32, 4879].     

Wall slip and melt-fracture of polystyrene melts in capillary flow

We investigated slip and unstable flow phenomena of polystyrene melts in capillaries from the view of the effects of temperature and molecular weight by using three polystyrene samples with different molecular weights (M_w = 192,000, M_w = 258,000, and M_w = 321,000). The slip velocities are estimated by the Mooney method and the modified Mooney method. We found that the slip velocity increases and the critical slip stress above which a slip starts to occur decreases with the temperature. We also observed the melt-fracture at above a critical melt-fracture stress higher than . We found that the onset of melt fracture is affected by the extensional stress near the entry region to the capillary in the barrel and the melt-fracture tends to easily occur with increase of the molecular weight, but is not sensitive to the temperature.     

Directed Evolution of a Cp*RhIII-Linked Biohybrid Catalyst Based on a Screening Platform with Affinity Purification

Directed evolution of Cp*Rh^III-linked nitrobindin (NB), a biohybrid catalyst, was performed based on an in vitro screening approach. A key aspect of this effort was the establishment of a high-throughput screening (HTS) platform that involves an affinity purification step employing a starch-agarose resin for a maltose binding protein (MBP) tag. The HTS platform enables efficient preparation of the purified MBP-tagged biohybrid catalysts in a 96-well format and eliminates background influence of the host E. coli cells. Three rounds of directed evolution and screening of more than 4000 clones yielded a Cp*Rh^III-linked NB(T98H/L100K/K127E) variant with a 4.9-fold enhanced activity for the cycloaddition of acetophenone oximes with alkynes. It is confirmed that this HTS platform for directed evolution provides an efficient strategy for generating highly active biohybrid catalysts incorporating a synthetic metal cofactor.     

Xanthohumol for Human Malignancies: Chemistry,Pharmacokinetics and Molecular Targets

Xanthohumol (XH) is an important prenylated flavonoid that is found within the inflorescence of Humulus lupulus L. (Hop plant). XH is an important ingredient in beer and is considered a significant bioactive agent due to its diverse medicinal applications, which include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antiviral, antifungal, antigenotoxic, antiangiogenic, and antimalarial effects as well as strong anticancer activity towards various types of cancer cells. XH acts as a wide ranging chemopreventive and anticancer agent, and its isomer, 8-prenylnaringenin, is a phytoestrogen with strong estrogenic activity. The present review focuses on the bioactivity of XH on various types of cancers and its pharmacokinetics. In this paper, we first highlight, in brief, the history and use of hops and then the chemistry and structure–activity relationship of XH. Lastly, we focus on its prominent effects and mechanisms of action on various cancers and its possible use in cancer prevention and treatment. Considering the limited number of available reviews on this subject, our goal is to provide a complete and detailed understanding of the anticancer effects of XH against different cancers.     

Electrostatic Spray Deposition of Perovskite-Type Oxides Thin Films with Porous Microstructure

The deposition of perovskite-type oxides thin films [La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ and La_1–xSr_xCo_1–yFe_yO₃ (0 x 0.4 and 0 y 1)] was investigated using the electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) technique. Lanthanum nitrate, strontium chloride and manganese nitrate, or cobalt nitrate and iron nitrate were dissolved into a mixture of 33 vol% ethanol and 67 vol% butyl carbitol, which was used as precursor solution. The effect of process parameters, such as deposition temperature, deposition time and concentration of precursor solution, on the surface morphology and microstructure of thin films were examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The deposited La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ and La_1–xSr_xCo_1–yFe_yO₃ thin films were amorphous at the used deposition temperature (573K). Subsequently, the samples were heated at 1173 K for 2 h and were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). As the result, the crystal structure of the samples transformed to the desired perovskite phase. The chemical analysis of the thin films was investigated using energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) analysis. The observed chemical compositions of the samples were in a fair agreement with the ones of the starting solutions.     

Mid-Gap State Formed Inside Mott Gap of 1T-TaS2 Single Crystals and Metal-Insulator Transition

We have measured electrical resistivity, Hall coefficient, thermoelectric power, and magnetization for charge-density wave (CDW) material 1T-TaS₂ single crystals grown by varying the excess sulfur content x _es. We have revealed that a small mid-gap state is formed inside the Mott gap and that anomalous low temperature transport is not governed by the Mott gap state itself but by the mid-gap state. The electric properties of the mid-gap state are modified by increasing x _es (or hole doping), and we have found the insulator-metal transition occurs by hole doping below 60K.     

Travel Time Reliability in Vehicle Routing and Scheduling with Time Windows

This paper presents calibration of the Vehicle Routing and scheduling Problems with Time Windows-Probabilistic (VRPTW-P) model which takes into account the uncertainty of travel times. Probe vehicle data of travel times were obtained from usual operation of pickup-delivery trucks in South Osaka area. The optimal solution of the VRPTW-P model resulted in reducing total cost, running times and CO₂, NOx and Particle Materials (PM) emissions compared with the usual operation. This is attributed to better routing of VRPTW-P to choose more reliable roads. Therefore, VRPTW-P can contribute to establish efficient and environmentally friendly delivery systems in urban area.     

New high‐luminance 50‐ and 43‐in. ACPDPs with an improved panel structure

New 50‐ and 43‐in. ACPDPs, which have been developed and commercialized in 2001, show high luminance with improved cell structure and higher Xe‐content gas. The specific features of the cell structure are “T”‐shaped electrodes and waffle‐structured ribs, which are same as those of the previous model. Both the cell structure and gas conditions have been optimized. New green and blue phosphors have also been adopted. As a result, the luminous efficacy has been improved up to 1.8 lm/W by using a black stripe. The peak luminance of the 50‐ and 43‐in. PDPs have reached 900 and 1000 cd/m², respectively, while the power consumption of the 50‐in. PDP has been decreased to 380 W, which is 20% lower than that of our previous 50‐in. PDP.