Removal of endocrine disruptors in milk by circulation through polydimethylsiloxane tubing

A simple circulating system was developed, in which an aqueous solution, cow milk, or human milk was circulated through hydrophobic polymeric tubing to remove the endocrine disruptors from the solution by sorption into the tubing. The effect of circulating parameters, such as tube length, circulating time, and flow rate, against the removal ratio (R) of endocrine disruptors was investigated. R of 1,2,3,4,5,6‐hexachlorocyclohexane (γ‐HCH, lindane) increased with the length of the hydrophobic polymeric tubing, circulating time, and flow rate when cow milk containing 1 ppm γ‐HCH was circulated through polydimethylsiloxane tubing. The R values of several endocrine disruptors with different octanol–water distribution coefficients (log P_ow) was investigated for γ‐HCH and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane in an aqueous solution, cow milk, and human milk. A similar trend for R versus log P_ow of the human milk to that of the aqueous solution and cow milk was observed. The R values of the endocrine disruptors decreased in the following order: Aqueous solution > Human milk > Cow milk. Stable micelles in cow milk disturbed the shift of the endocrine disruptors from the milk micelles into the hydrophobic tubing. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:3634–3640, 2006     

Molecular orbital study of pyrolytic carbons based on small cluster models

Molecular orbital calculations are applied to the Raman scattering and ESR of pyrolytic carbons on the basis of small cluster models. The E_2g and A_1g modes of C-C stretching vibrations of coronene, hexabenzocoronene, and circumcoronene, which belong to D_6h carbon clusters, are shown to appear around the 1550 cm⁻¹ and 1360 cm⁻¹ bands, respectively. The unpaired electrons observed in pyrolytic carbons are attributed to the bond-alternation defects on odd-numbered carbon clusters that are more easily mobile than those of trans-polyacetylene.     

Reconnaissance report on geotechnical damage caused by a localized torrential downpour with emergency warning level in Kyushu,Japan

Kumamoto and Kogoshima prefectures are located in the southern Kyushu district of western Japan. In July 2020, a warm, humid air front triggered the delayed rains of the rainy season, resulting in torrential rains in many parts of Japan, especially in Kyushu. In particular, heavy downpours occurred in the southern Kyushu district on July 4th, causing severe damage to much of the infrastructure. Details could not be analyzed as usual because some branch office of local government were also damaged by floods. The spatial distribution of precipitation in the Kuma River basin, in the southern part of Kumamoto, was characterized by the uniformity of 400–500 mm on July 3rd and 4th. Finally, emergency warnings of torrential rain were issued for the southern Kumamoto and the northern Kagoshima Prefectures by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) at 4:50 a.m., July 4th, 2020. Then, the active rain front gradually shifted towards northern Kyushu. Again, torrential rain fell on northern Kyushu in the afternoon due to a stagnant rainy season front, and the JMA issued an emergency warning for a localized torrential downpour for parts of Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures at 4:30 pm. Gradually, the damage status involving geodisasters such as several types of slope failures, road subsidence, damage of the river levee was reported by local governments in each area where there had been emergency warnings.Based on the brief report of the pre-investigation team from the Kyushu branch of the Japan Geotechnical Society (JGS) in the first week after the disaster on July 4th, the geo-research teams investigated the following: 1) landslides; 2) damaged roads; 3) damaged river levees, and 4) any geotechnical infrastructures which were partially damaged and may be even more severely damaged by the next torrential rain. This reconnaissance report introduces the geological features in Kyushu, the analysis of precipitation distribution and geotechnical damages on the slope failures, road failures and river embankments based on reports obtained from July 4th to August 31st, 2020.     

IR study of reaction of 2‐butene adsorbed on deuterated ZSM‐5 and mordenite

The dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene was studied over single-crystalline iron oxide model catalyst films grown epitaxially onto Pt(111) substrates. The role of the iron oxide stoichiometry and of atomic surface defects for the catalytic activity was investigated by preparing single-phased Fe₃O₄(111) and α-Fe₂O₃(0001) films with defined surface structures and varying concentrations of atomic surface defects. The structure and composition of the iron oxide films were controlled by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), the surface defect concentrations were determined from the diffuse background intensities in the LEED patterns. These ultrahigh vacuum experiments were combined with batch reactor experiments performed in water–ethylbenzene mixtures with a total gas pressure of 0.6 mbar. No styrene formation is observed on the Fe₃O₄ films. The α-Fe₂O₃ films are catalytically active, and the styrene formation rate increases with increasing surface defect concentration on these films. This reveals atomic surface defects as active sites for the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation over unpromoted α-Fe₂O₃. After 30 min reaction time, the films were deactivated by hydrocarbon surface deposits. The deactivation process was monitored by imaging the surface deposits with a photoelectron emission microscope (PEEM). It starts at extended defects and exhibits a pattern formation after further growth. This indicates that the deactivation is a site-selective process. Post-reaction LEED and AES analysis reveals partly reduced Fe₂O₃ films, which shows that a reduction process takes place during the reaction which also deactivates the Fe₂O₃ films.     

Paper-structured catalyst for the steam reforming of biodiesel fuel

Architectonics of the paper-structured catalyst for the application to the biofuel reformer or direct internal reforming SOFC (DIRSOFC) was studied. Inorganic fiber network, “paper”, composed of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fiber (Zf), alumina fiber (Af) and inorganic binder (Al₂O₃ sol (As) or ZrO₂ sol (Zs) or CeO₂ sol (Cs)) was prepared by a simple paper-making process. Then, the catalytic activities of the Ni and Ni–MgO loaded papers called “paper-structured catalysts (PSCs)” for the steam reforming of biodiesel fuels (BDFs) were evaluated. Ni–MgO loaded PSC using Cs as an inorganic binder, Ni–MgO/ZfAfCs, exhibited excellent performance over Ru/γAl₂O₃ catalyst beads. Formation of light hydrocarbons, especially C₂H₄, was eliminated and water–gas shift reaction was more promoted compared to the catalyst beads.     

A solid polymer water electrolysis system utilizing natural circulation

Solid Polymer Water Electrolysis (SPWE) is a method to efficiently produce high-purity hydrogen gas using a polymer electrolyte membrane-based system. SPWE systems that utilize natural water circulation (resulting from a difference in buoyancy) are a promising technology, which need no additional circulation pump for water supply to the electrolysis cells, and generate no pressure difference between the hydrogen generation and oxygen generation chambers. However, despite not needing an accurate pressure control, gas bubbles formed and trapped within the cell stacks can inhibit heat convection, leading to hot-spot formation and consequent destructive degradation. Improving the reliability is therefore one of the most important technological issues in natural circulation SPWEs. In this study, hot-spot formation is studied both by numerical heat and flow analysis, and by experimental in-situ visualization. This leads to insights into the degradation mechanisms of SPWE stacks, and their possible solutions. An improved design for an SPWE cell stack is successfully fabricated, and reliable operation up to 5000 h is demonstrated.     

The Oxidation of Equol by Tyrosinase Produces a Unique Di-ortho-Quinone: Possible Implications for Melanocyte Toxicity

Equol (7-hydroxy-3-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-chroman, EQ), one of the major intestinally derived metabolites of daidzein, the principal isoflavane found in soybeans and most soy foods, has recently attracted increased interest as a health-beneficial compound for estrogen-dependent diseases. However, based on its structure with two p-substituted phenols, this study aimed to examine whether EQ is a substrate for tyrosinase and whether it produces o-quinone metabolites that are highly cytotoxic to melanocyte. First, the tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of EQ was performed, which yielded three EQ-quinones. They were identified after being reduced to their corresponding catechols with NaBH₄ or L-ascorbic acid. The binding of the EQ-quinones to N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), glutathione (GSH), and bovine serum albumin via their cysteine residues was then examined. NAC and GSH afforded two mono-adducts and one di-adduct, which were identified by NMR and MS analysis. It was also found that EQ was oxidized to EQ-di-quinone in cells expressing human tyrosinase. Finally, it was confirmed that the EQ-oligomer, the EQ oxidation product, exerted potent pro-oxidant activity by oxidizing GSH to the oxidized GSSG and concomitantly producing H₂O₂. These results suggest that EQ-quinones could be cytotoxic to melanocytes due to their binding to cellular proteins.     

Electrochemical surface plasmon excitation and emission light properties in poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin films

The attenuated total reflection (ATR) and emission light properties utilizing surface plasmon (SP) excitations were measured for the electrochemical change of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5diyl) (P3HT) thin films in-situ. The SP emission light could detect the SP excited by molecular luminescence of P3HT. The ATR and SP emission light properties were observed for the doped–dedoped states of P3HT thin film. The ATR and SP emission light properties were remarkably changed with the electrochemical doping and dedoping. The SP emission light also decreased by decrease of the molecular luminescence of P3HT by doping. For the dedoped-state P3HT thin film, SP emission light also increased by increase of the molecular luminescence. The SP emission light excited by molecular luminescence can be controlled by the control of doping–dedoping state.     

Multi‐primary‐color LCD: Its characteristics and extended applications

Abstract— The development of multi‐primary‐color (MPC) display systems is one of the big paradigm shifts in recent display technologies and induces new potentials of display devices. The development of MPC display systems for different goals is briefly reviewed. Especially, by employing MPC systems, it is possible to reproduce the real material colors faithfully and efficiently. For signal processing, MPC systems have a big advantage in the so‐called color‐reproduction redundancy. A number of applications can be derived from this characteristic, such as improving the viewing‐angle dependency issue and power savings. On the other hand, MPC systems have a typical trade‐off versus RGB‐standardized input signals, especially for reproducing bright green. New algorithms to moderate this trade‐off on MPC systems by employing color‐reproduction redundancy are proposed. The goal of our algorithms is to maintain the compatibility with RGB‐based input signals though the initial display design so that the characteristics of MPC systems are not changed or lost. These algorithms indicate that MPC display systems are applicable not only for a specifically limited objective but also for other applications, e.g., TV broadcasting.     

Isoprene formation from CO and H2 over CeO2 catalysts

The CO-H₂ reaction over CeO₂ catalysts at around 623 K and 67 kPa forms isoprene with about 20% and 70% selectivities in total and C₅ hydrocarbons, respectively. The formation of dienes may be due to the low and high activity of CeO₂ for alkene and CO hydrogenation, respectively.