Production of anti-Gordonia amarae mycolic acid polyclonal antibody for detection of mycolic acid-containing bacteria in activated sludge foam

Mycolic acid-containing actinomycetes (mycolata) are considered the causative agents of foaming of activated sludge and scum formation in activated sludge treatment plants. In this study, the production of anti-Gordonia amarae mycolic acid polyclonal antibodies was investigated. Rabbits were immunized with a conjugate of keyhole limpet hemocyanin and mycolic acids of G. amarae, which contained 48 to 56 carbon atoms (average, 52.0). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that the polyclonal antibodies could recognize cells of G. amarae ranging from 0.1 to 10 microg. The antibodies also reacted with other tested mycolata strains belonging to the genera Nocardia, Rhodococcus, Dietzia, Mycobacterium and Tsukamurella. However, reactivities against other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria not containing mycolic acid were negligible or much lower. The results indicate that the anti-G. amarae mycolic acid antibodies show a reactivity selective for a group of mycolata involved in the foaming of activated sludge.     

Effects of absorbed water on the interfacial fracture between two layers of unsaturated polyester and glass

The effects of absorbed water on the interfacial fracture resistance between two layers of unsaturated polyester (UP) and glass of the bilayer specimen were evaluated by measuring a load for producing the fracture by inserting a razor blade into the interface. The specimens were subjected to the cyclic absorption-desorption and the continuous absorption processes of water. The load to initiate the interfacial fracture was markedly lowered by the early absorption process for short period, and then gradually reduced with increasing cycle or period of water absorption, although it slightly recovered after the first great reduction when the specimens were subjected to the soaking process at lower temperatures. The micro-FTIR (ATR) analyses of the detached surface of the UP resin from the glass plate revealed that the water is accumulated in the resin at the interface in the cluster, showing the concentration to increase with increases both in the temperature of environmental water and in the water-soaking period. The IR analyses also demonstrated the hydrolysis reaction to take place on the detached resin surface of specimen exposed to water at high temperature. Thus the accumulated water at the interface may remain and promote the interfacial degradation even under the drying process by various mechanisms like the hydrolysis reaction in hot water environment.     

Hydrogen storage and thermal conductivity properties of Mg-based materials with different structures

Mg-based hydrogen storage materials can be very promising candidates for stationary energy storage application due to the high energy density and low cost of Mg. Hydrogen storage kinetics and thermal conductivity are two important factors for the material development for this kind of application. Here we studied several types of Mg-based materials with different structure-micrometer scale Mg powders, Mg nanoparticles, single crystal Mg, nanocrystalline Mg₅₀Co₅₀ BCC alloy and Mg thin film samples. It seems the Mg materials with good kinetics usually are the ones with nanostructure and tend to show poor thermal conductivity due to electron/phonon scattering resulting from more interfaces and boundaries in nanomaterials. Based on this work, good crystallinity Mg phase incorporated in carbon nano framework could be one promising option for energy storage.     

Izumoring: a novel and complete strategy for bioproduction of rare sugars

Starch, whey or hemicellulosic waste can be used as a raw material for the industrial production of rare sugars. D-glucose from starch, whey and hemicellulose, D-galactose from whey, and D-xylose from hemicellulose are the main starting monosaccharides for production of rare sugars. We can produce all monosaccharides; tetroses, pentoses and hexoses, from these raw materials. This is achieved by using D-tagatose 3-epimerase, aldose isomerase, aldose reductase, and oxidoreductase enzymes or whole cells as biocatalysts. Bioproduction strategies for all rare sugars are illustrated using ring form structures given the name Izumoring.     

Effect of Hydrothermal Waves on Evaporation Distribution During Drop Evaporation

The objective of this study is to clarify physical mechanisms involved in the evaporation of small (a few microliters) sessile drops. We aim to understand the relation between local thermal information at the solid–liquid interface and overall evaporation. An infrared (IR) camera and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera were used to determine the temperature and heat flux distribution at the solid–liquid interface and the profile of the evaporating drop, respectively. The temperature distribution at the solid–liquid interface was determined using a multilayer substrate consisting of a silicon wafer coated with a thin thermal insulator that is partially transparent to IR. The liquids used were water and FC-72. The evaporation rate of water drops was found to occur mostly at the contact line. However, the heat transfer distribution at the liquid–solid interface was relatively uniform, indicating the heat transferred from the wall must be transported within the drop to the contact line. The mechanisms by which this occurs have yet to be determined. In contrast, the evaporation rate of FC-72 drops where hydrothermal waves were present was found to be proportional to the liquid–vapor interface area rather than the circumference of the drop, indicating a more uniform distribution of evaporation.     

Phase‐Change Materials: Vibrational Softening upon Crystallization and Its Impact on Thermal Properties

Crystallization of an amorphous solid is usually accompanied by a significant change of transport properties, such as an increase in thermal and electrical conductivity. This fact underlines the importance of crystalline order for the transport of charge and heat. Phase‐change materials, however, reveal a remarkably low thermal conductivity in the crystalline state. The small change in this conductivity upon crystallization points to unique lattice properties. The present investigation reveals that the thermal properties of the amorphous and crystalline state of phase‐change materials show remarkable differences such as higher thermal displacements and a more pronounced anharmonic behavior in the crystalline phase. These findings are related to the change of bonding upon crystallization, which leads to an increase of the sound velocity and a softening of the optical phonon modes at the same time.     

Effect of the diaphragm of free-air ionisation chamber for X-ray air-kerma measurements

Free-air ionisation chambers are widely used at standards laboratories as primary standards for absolute measurements of air kerma in X-ray fields. The area of the diaphragm aperture of a free-air ionisation chambers is an important factor for absolute measurements because it defines the size of the X-ray beam incident on the free-air chamber. In this study, correction factors for the contribution of X rays transmitted through the diaphragm of a free-air ionisation chamber and those scattered from the surface of the diaphragm aperture are obtained by Monte Carlo simulation for two different sized free-air ionisation chambers and for various diaphragm aperture sizes, X-ray energies and source-to-chamber distances.     

Effect of radiation-induced charge accumulation on build-up cap on the signal current from an ionisation chamber

The signal current from a thimble ionisation chamber with a build-up cap made of an insulator decreases by about 0.41 % after being irradiated for 17 h at an air kerma rate of 41 Gy h(-1) by a collimated (60)Co gamma-ray beam in air. In contrast, the signal current remains constant when the thimble ionisation chamber is irradiated in a water phantom. During irradiation, positive charge is considered to accumulate near the outer surface of the build-up cap where electron equilibrium is not achieved. Secondary electrons travelling in the build-up cap and the chamber wall toward the ionisation volume are decelerated by the electric field generated by the positive charge. Consequently, the signal current decreases with increasing charge accumulation because some secondary electrons are prevented from entering the ionisation volume. In the water phantom, electron equilibrium is established in and around the ionisation chamber and charge does not accumulate. To confirm this hypothesis, the signal current was measured for an ionisation chamber in air with a build-up cap wrapped with Al foil and covered with PMMA tubes. Electron equilibrium was established over the build-up cap because the tubes were thicker than the secondary electron range. The signal current decreased with increasing positive voltage applied to the Al foil. It was estimated from the results that positive charges equivalent to a voltage of over 6 kV applied to the Al foil accumulated during irradiation. The signal current was also measured for an ionisation chamber with a metal build-up cap and for an ionisation chamber with a wall and build-up cap made of conductive plastic.     

Measurements of Hydrogen Thermal Conductivity at High Pressure and High Temperature

The thermal conductivity for normal hydrogen gas was measured in the range of temperatures from 323 K to 773 K at pressures up to 99 MPa using the transient short hot-wire method. The single-wire platinum probes had wire lengths of 10 mm to 15 mm with a nominal diameter of 10 μm. The volume-averaged transient temperature rise of the wire was calculated using a two-dimensional numerical solution to the unsteady heat conduction equation. A non-linear least-squares fitting procedure was employed to obtain the values of the thermal conductivity required for agreement between the measured temperature rise and the calculation. The experimental uncertainty in the thermal-conductivity measurements was estimated to be 2.2 % (k = 2). An existing thermal-conductivity equation of state was modified to include the expanded range of conditions covered in the present study. The new correlation is applicable from 78 K to 773 K with pressures to 100 MPa and is in agreement with the majority of the present thermal-conductivity measurements within ±2 %.     

Metabolic fate of orally administered enzymatically synthesized glycogen in rats

We developed a new process for enzymatically synthesized glycogen (ESG), which is equivalent in physicochemical properties to natural-source glycogen (NSG) except its resistant property to degradation by α-amylase in vitro. In this study the metabolic fates of orally administered ESG in rats were investigated by a single oral administration test and a 2 week ingestion test. The glycemic index of ESG was 79. After the 2 week ingestion of ESG, the cecal content and production of short chain fatty acids were significantly increased, the pH value of cecal content was lowered, and the counts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in feces were significantly increased. Additionally, plasma levels of triacylglycerol and total cholesterol were significantly reduced by ESG. In contrast, NSG did not affect these parameters at all. The results collectively suggest that around 20% of orally administered ESG was transferred to the cecum in the form of polymer and assimilated into short chain fatty acids by microbiota and the polymer affected lipid metabolism.