Continuous fine particle classification by water elutriator with applied electro-potential

In order to classify fine particles in slurry continuously, a horizontal type water elutriator with electrical potential is newly developed. The experimental classification performance was compared with the numerical calculation. Test particles used were pure silica particles with the mass median diameters of 3.5 and 2.5 μm.The effects of inlet flow rate, slurry concentration, applied electro-potential and the shape of inlet on the classification performance were also studied. The classification accuracy increased by applying the electro-potential and the cut size decreased with an increase in the electro-potential. The classification performance with a three-layer inlet was higher than that with a two-layer inlet.The experimental data agreed well with the numerical calculation. It is further shown that the 50% cut size was about 1 μm for a relatively short time, and the newly developed water elutriator is, therefore, effective for the classification of fine particles in slurries.     

Low-temperature interface modification by hydrocarbon radicals in heteroepitaxy of 3C-SiC on Si clean surface

An interface modification by hydrocarbon radicals from cracked-propane (C₃H₈) and dimethylgermane ((CH₃)₂GeH₂:DMGe) in heteroepitaxy of 3C-SiC on Si has been studied with in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and a high-resolution scanning electron microscope. In the case of cracked-C₃H₈, a clean Si surface is carbonized at 750°C. Whereas, in the case of DMGe, it can be carbonized reproducibly at as low as 650°C. A RHEED pattern of a carbonized layer prepared using DMGe indicates single-crystalline 3C-SiC without twins and Ge-related patterns. The activation energy in the range of 46.9-51.1 kcal/ mol is obtained in the initial stage of 3C-SiC growth for both hydrocarbon sources. The difference in 3C-SiC growth by using different hydrocarbon sources is discussed in detail.     

Promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana phosphate transporter gene drives root-specific expression of transgene in rice

The PHT1 promoter::GUS fusion gene was constructed and introduced into Arabidopsis and rice by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Strong beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity was detected in roots and showed phosphate starvation induction both in Arabidopsis and rice. In contrast, GUS activity in aerial tissues such as those of the leaf and stem was low. In situ GUS staining of root tissue indicated that PHT1 was expressed in root hairs and the outer layer of the main roots, but not in root tips. The PHT1 promoter has a desirable character for biotechnological transgene expression in monocot rice plants.     

Pro-oxidant action of phloxine B on fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

A Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutant deficient in Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (sod1 mutant) was hypersensitive to phloxine B, which is used as a food-colouring agent and also to distinguish diploid strains of Sz. pombe from haploid strains, under illumination with light. The pro-oxidant nature of phloxine B was confirmed biochemically. The carbonyl content of proteins (which represents protein oxidation) increased, and the reduced form of glutathione was transiently decreased by phloxine B treatment under illumination with light. When cells were treated with phloxine B under light, carbonyl content of proteins in the sod1 mutant was greater than that in the wild-type and amount of glutathione was much decreased in the sod1 mutant compared with the wild-type. Genes induced by oxidative stress were induced by phloxine B under illumination with light and some were induced by phloxine B without light.     

Flame retardancy effects of halogenated phosphates on poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric

A Chemical research on the flame retardancy effect of halogenated phosphates on poly(ethylene terephathalate) fabric was carried out by thermogravimetry, infrared spectral analysis, and mass spectrometry. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) The flame retardancy effect of halogenated phosphates such as tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate is due to altering the pyrolysis reaction of polyester by aldol condensation. (2) The probability that liberated halogen compounds from the phosphates act as radical acceptors in a flame zone may be low. (3) Incorporation of halogen elements into phosphates appear to depress evaporation of phosphates, which act as acidic catalysts in aldol condensation from the condensed phase.     

Phosphorylation of cellulose with phosphorous acid and thermal degradation of the product

The reaction of cellulose with phosphorous acid in molten urea afforded a white, water-soluble product. The product was a monoester of phosphorous acid, and all the phosphorus residues were in phosphonic form, i.e., cellulose phosphonate. Quantitative addition of acrylonitrile to the P? H bonds in cellulose phosphonate occurred in the presence of sodium ethoxide. By alkali hydrolysis of the adduct, a polyelectrolyte having two different ionization groups, P? OH and COOH, could be prepared. Thermal degradation of three cellulose phosphonates, ammonium cellulose phosphonate (I), ammonium cellulose 2-cyanoethlyphosphonate (II), and ammonium cellulose 2-carboxyethylphosphonate (III), was examined. All three samples decomposed at a temperature around 270°C, but their thermal behaviors were different. Replacement of hydrogen in the phosphonic residue by 2-cyanoethyl and 2-carboxyethyl groups retarded dehydration of cellulose. Sample I had a satisfactory flame retardance; samples II and III were not flame resistant. Reduction of flame retardance may be due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the cyano and carboxyl groups.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for monitoring toxic dioxin congeners in milk based on a newly generated monoclonal anti-dioxin antibody

To develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for monitoring the toxicity due to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans contaminated in human breast milk, we have generated novel monoclonal antibodies using some haptenic derivatives linked to bovine serum albumin via the C-1 or C-2 position on the dioxin skeleton. BALB/c or A/J mice were repeatedly immunized with the immunogen, and spleen cells were fused with P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells. After five fusion experiments, a hybridoma clone was established that secretes an antibody D9-36 group specifically recognizing the major toxic congeners, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofran. An ELISA is developed on the basis of the competitive and labeled-antigen format. The toxic congeners extracted from butter or milk specimens by a novel extraction cartridge and a peroxidase-labeled dioxin analogue were sequentially reacted with a fixed amount of D9-36 in the presence of Triton X-100. The bound fraction was captured on a microtiter plate, immobilizing a second antibody, and the enzyme activity was colorimetrically determined. This ELISA afforded a practical sensitivity (measurable range, 1-100 pg/assay; detection limit, 1.0 pg/assay as 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalent). The assay values for milk and butter samples were in reasonable accordance with the sum of the toxicity-equivalent quantity of each congener, which had been determined by a high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry method.     

Localized thermal processing with a laser‐trapped and heated metal nanoparticle

We report localized thermal processing using a laser‐trapped and heated metal nanoparticle. A metal nanoparticle trapped by a focused, continuous wave (CW), near‐infrared laser was heated by photothermal conversion and acted as a remotely controllable nanosized thermal tool for processing a workpiece. We demonstrated the processing of a glass substrate with an optically trapped gold nanoparticle (diameter 200 nm) irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser (λ = 1.064 µm, CW). Laser irradiation caused local melting of the substrate and a crater‐like nanosized imprint on the substrate, demonstrating thermal nanoprocessing of an optically transparent material. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan© 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Isolation and characterization of novel lipases from a metagenomic library of the microbial community in the pitcher fluid of the carnivorous plant Nepenthes hybrida

Members of the genus Nepenthes are carnivorous plants that use the pitfall method of insect capture as a supplementary nutritional source. We extracted metagenomic DNA from the microbial community found in the pitcher fluid of Nepenthes and constructed a plasmid-based metagenomic library. An activity-based screening method enabled the isolation of two lipase genes, lip1 and lip2. Both Lip1 and Lip2 belong to a novel family or subfamily of lipases and show lipase activities in acidic conditions, such as those found in pitcher fluid. This study was conducted under the assumption that the secreted Lip1 and Lip2 were capable of enzymatic activity in the acidic pitcher fluid.