A novel spherical carbon

We developed a novel spherical carbon material. The spherical carbon is composed of a high density of carbon nanotubes or nanofilaments, and includes an oxidized diamond particle as a core. Syntheses of this carbon in high volume with high selectivity may be possible. It is expected that this carbon will be useful as a catalyst material for fuel cells, electric double-layer capacitors, etc.     

Characteristics of translucent alumina produced by slip casting method using gypsum mold

Translucent Al₂O₃ ceramics were successfully produced by slip casting using a gypsum mold, provided that CaSO₄ impurities, which had penetrated into the green bodies from the gypsum mold, were removed by the wash of HCl aqueous solution. Some of the calcined Al₂O₃ compacts were washed with HCl aqueous solution before sintering the compacts and the others were not washed with HCl aqueous solution. The relative densities of the sintered Al₂O₃ ceramics with HCl treatment were higher than those of the untreated samples. Grains in the HCl-treated samples, which sintered at 1350°C, grew homogeneously with about 1 m in diameter. When the sintering temperature was higher, the grains grew homogeneously. The sintered Al₂O₃ ceramics with the HCl treatment were translucent. The transmittance value increased from 0 to 12% with increasing wavelength from 300 to 900 nm. The Al₂O₃ ceramics with the HCl treatment did not have the transmittance when the solid contents of slurry were low. The transmittance was influenced by the solid contents of slurry. On the other hand, grains in the HCl-untreated samples, which sintered at 1350°C, grew heterogeneously with the range from 0.2 to 2 m. The Al₂O₃ ceramics did not have the transmittance.     

Thermoelectric properties of β-FeSi2 with B4C and BN dispersion by mechanical alloying

The B₄C- and BN-dispersed -FeSi₂ thermoelectric materials were synthesized by mechanical alloying and subsequent hot pressing. The effects of the B₄C and BN dispersion on the thermoelectric properties, such as Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity etc., of the -FeSi₂ were investigated. For the sample with B₄C and BN addition, a larger amount of the residual phase was detected in the X-ray diffraction patterns than the sample without addition. In the case of the BN addition, the Seebeck coefficient was enhanced by BN addition above 700 K, and the electrical resistivity also increased with increasing amount of BN. This is considered to result from doping of a small amount of B into the phase due to partial decomposition of the BN phase. The fine dispersion of BN particles in the phase matrix was quite effective for reducing the thermal conductivity as compared to the B₄C addition over the entire temperature range. The figure of merit, Z, of the -FeSi₂ was significantly enhanced by BN addition.     

Biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene with Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 53968 and its mutant in an interface bioreactor

An interface bioreactor was used in the biodesulfurization (BDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) with Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 53968. Although this strain could efficiently degrade DBT to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP), the microbial film peeled off from the surface of the carrier (agar plate) to an organic phase (dodecane or tetradecane). To overcome this problem, a UV mutant, which strongly adhered to the carrier surface, was obtained by a new screening method. The best UV mutant (UM-021) could efficiently catalyze the BDS and the microbial film did not peel off from the surface of the carrier to tetradecane layer.     

Development of partial-charge potential for GaN

Partial-charged potentials for GaN are systematically developed that describe a wide range of structural properties, where the reference data for fitting the potential parameters are taken from ab initial calculations or experiments. The present potential model provides a good fit to different structural geometries and high pressure phases of GaN. The high-pressure transition from wurtzite to rock-salt structure is correctly predicted yielding the phase transition pressure of about 55 GPa, and the calculated volume change at the transition is in good agreement with experimental data. The results are compared with those obtained by ab initio simulations.     

Improvement of the energy efficiency in the decomposition of dilute trichloroethylene by the barrier discharge plasma process

In order to improve the energy efficiency in the dilute trichloroethylene (TCE) removal by the nonthermal plasma process, the barrier discharge reactor was studied experimentally. It is investigated by combining it with catalyst of manganese dioxide at the downstream of the barrier discharge reactor. Decomposition efficiency by the barrier discharge reactor was about 83% at the gas flow rate 2 L/min, where the dilute TCE concentration is 250 ppm. Decomposition efficiency with passing through manganese dioxide was improved about 99% at the specific energy of 40 J/L. However, other by-products including ozone and oxidation by-products such as DCAC and TCAA were detected by the gas chromatograph mass spectrometry or the Fourier transform infrared spectroscope measurement. DCAC is generated at the plasma reactor, but TCAA is generated at catalyst during ozone decomposition. CO/sub x/ yield increased about twice with passing through catalyst in the Direct Process. Nitric oxides such as NO, NO/sub 2/, and N/sub 2/O did not generate so much in this barrier discharge process. The dielectric barrier discharge process combined with manganese dioxide is considered as a very desirable way to improve the energy efficiency.     

Structurally related peptide agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist occupy a similar binding pocket within the cholecystokinin receptor. Rapid analysis using fluorescent photoaffinity labeling probes and capillary electrophoresis

The molecular basis of ligand binding to receptors provides important insights for drug development. Here, we explore domains of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor that are critical for ligand binding, using a novel series of fluorescent photolabile probes, receptor proteolysis, and rapid high resolution separation of peptide fragments by capillary electrophoresis. Each probe incorporated the same fluorophore and a photolabile p-benzoylphenylalanine at the amino terminus of the pharmacophoric domain (residue 24 of CCK-33) of CCK analogues representing full agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist of this receptor. Each was used to label the CCK receptor expressed on Chinese hamster ovary-CCKR cells, with the labeled domain then released by cyanogen bromide cleavage. Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection achieved an on-capillary mass sensitivity of 1.6 attomoles (10(-18) mol), with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Each of the biologically divergent, but structurally similar probes saturably and specifically labeled the same receptor domain, consistent with conservation of "docking" determinants. This had an apparent mass of 2.9 kDa, most consistent with the first extracellular loop domain. An additional probe having its site of covalent attachment in a different region of the probe (residue 29 of CCK-33) labeled a distinct receptor fragment with differential migration on capillary electrophoresis (third extracellular loop). Identification of the specific receptor residue(s) covalently linked to the amino-terminal probes must await further fragmentation and sequence analysis.     

Involvement of neutrophil elastase in crescentic glomerulonephritis

To elucidate the role of neutrophils in the tissue damage of crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN), we examined neutrophils infiltrated in renal tissues and the localization of neutrophil elastase (NE), as a neutrophil-derived tissue destructive mediator, using an immunohistochemical technique with antibodies specific for neutrophils and neutrophil elastase; the enzyme histochemical technique (chloroesterase staining) also was used to detect neutrophils. In normal controls, neutrophil infiltration was scarce, and NE was localized in neutrophil cytoplasm. Neutrophils were abundant in crescentic GN and infiltrated in the glomerulus and interstitium; the infiltrating neutrophils were often aggregated. NE was localized in the cytoplasm of neutrophils and also appeared extracellularly (in granular or diffuse patterns) in glomerular necrotizing lesions, crescents, ruptured portions of Bowman's capsules, and in periglomerular and perivascular sites of the interstitium. Moreover, urinary concentration of NE measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in crescentic GN patients was significantly higher than in normals (93.6 +/- 13.3 v 1.4 +/- 0.5 microg/g x Cr, respectively; P < .001). These data suggest that NE plays a significant role in renal tissue damage, especially in the formation of glomerular necrotizing and crescentic lesions and in periglomerular interstitial lesions of crescentic GN.     

Survival by Mac-1-mediated adherence and anoikis in phorbol ester-treated HL-60 cells

During the exposure of human myelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells to phorbol diester, nonadherent cells die by apoptosis, but adherent cells survive and growth-arrest at G1 phase of the cell cycle. Here we have shown that the adherent cells rapidly died by apoptosis after forced detachment (anoikis), indicating that phorbol diester induced apoptosis by default. Dimethylsphingosine induced apoptosis in the adherent cells, and sphingosine-1-phosphate rescued the detached cells from apoptosis. Sphingosine kinase activity in adherent cells was higher than that in nonadherent cells and was decreased by forced detachment. It is likely that the phorbol diester-induced apoptosis and the adhesion-mediated survival are modulated by sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate, respectively. The adherent cells were reverted and reproliferated when allowed to spontaneously detach from plastic surfaces by removal of phorbol diester. This result suggests that after removal of phorbol diester, the commitment signal of apoptosis by default is lost faster than the survival signal by adherence.