Effect of Surface Treatment on the Selective Photocatalytic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol into Benzaldehyde by O2 on TiO2 Under Visible Light

The photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde proceeded with high conversion and selectivity on a TiO₂ photocatalyst by O₂ under visible light irradiation. Surface complex formed by the interaction of benzyl alcohol with the Ti sites and/or surface OH groups of TiO₂ play an important role in the absorption of visible light and unique selective photocatalytic reaction.     

Isolation and structural analysis of efficient autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) of the yeast Candida utilis

The industrially important yeast Candida utilis is widely used in production of food and medical materials, but its host-vector system has not been well developed. We screened for compact and efficient ARSs to construct practically useful vectors. The C. utilis strain AHU3053 was found to be efficiently transformed by the conventional lithium acetate method and was used as the host. The C. utilis IAM4264 genomic library was constructed by inserting the partial Sau3AI digests in pRI51, which has a kanMX gene expressible in C. utilis. By examining 98 C. utilis G418-resistant transformants, five plasmids had the highest ARS activity. By trimming of the inserts, the 1490 and 552 bp fragments with transformation activity of over 10(3)/microg DNA were obtained from ARS3 and ARS4, respectively. Although several sequences identical to S. cerevisiae ARS consensus sequences (ACSs) were found in ARS3 and ARS4, our deletion analysis indicated that these were not essential for the activity. Because the minimal functional ARS fragment was also several-fold larger than that of S. cerevisiae, the C. utilis ARSs have some unique characteristics resembling the Sz. pombe ARSs. These ARSs were functional in other C. utilis strains tested and useful for constructing practical vectors.     

Enhancement of thermostability of kojibiose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacter brockii ATCC35047 by random mutagenesis

Random mutation by error-prone PCR was introduced into kojibiose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacter brockii ATCC35047. One thermostable mutant enzyme, D513N, was isolated. The D513N mutant enzyme showed an optimum temperature of 67.5-70 degrees C (the wild type, 65 degrees C), and thermostability up to 67.5 degrees C (the wild type, up to 60 degrees C). The half-lives of D513N were estimated to be 135 h at 60 degrees C, 110 min at 70 degrees C and 6 min at 75 degrees C, respectively. They were about 1.6-fold, 7-fold and 6-fold longer than those of the wild-type enzyme, respectively.     

Amplified fragment length polymorphism of the AWA1 gene of sake yeasts for identification of sake yeast strains

Sake yeasts are used for sake brewing and have a crucial role in the quality of sake, since they produce not only ethanol but also various compounds that provide sake flavors. Therefore, the appropriate selection and monitoring of a strain used in sake mash is important. However, the identification of specific sake yeast strains has been difficult, because sake yeasts have similar characteristics in taxonomic and physiological analyses. We found amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) in the PCR products of the AWA1 gene of sake yeast strains. The AWA1 gene encodes a cell wall protein that is responsible for foam formation in sake mash. This polymorphism of the AWA1 gene can be used for the identification of sake yeast strains.     

A study of various zeolites and CuFe2O4 spinel composite catalysts in steam reforming and hydrolysis of dimethyl ether

The catalytic performance of the composite catalysts of CuFe₂O₄ spinel and various zeolites for steam reforming and hydrolysis of dimethyl ether (DME SR and DME HYD) was investigated. The catalytic activity for DME SR and DME HYD was affected by the type of zeolites and the durability of the CuFe₂O₄ spinel catalysts composed of various zeolites was lower than those composed of alumina as solid acids. Based on several characterizations, the difference of types of zeolite led to the formation of various carbonaceous species on the catalysts during DME SR and DME HYD. The deactivation due to the coke formation was suppressed by the pre-heat treatments in air as a result of the decreasing acid strength. This high durability with heat treatment was obvious for the composite catalyst of CuFe₂O₄ and ZSM-5 (MFI) type zeolite in DME SR. In contrast, the heat treatment did not enhance the durability of the ferrierite (FER) type zeolite composite catalyst.     

Development of High Count Rate TES Microcalorimeters

To realize new TES imaging for high energy X-ray or gamma-ray spectrometer with a large pixel array and high count rate, we will try to develop a new radiation absorber self-adjusting the operating temperature and adopting an original reading out method of large pixel array using parallel biasing scheme. Our first prototype TES pixel using Au/Ti/Au tri-layer which consists of the small heat sensors and the radiation absorption area, and these are biased in serial. In this device, the current pulse with the decay time constant of less than 20 microseconds of incident X-rays from ⁵⁵Fe source were observed.      

Automatic Train Operation Using Autonomic Prediction of Train Runs

In this paper, we present an automatic train control method adaptable to disturbed train traffic conditions. The proposed method presumes transmission of detected time of a home track clearance to trains approaching the station by employing equipment of Digital ATC (Automatic Train Control). Using the information, each train controls its acceleration by a method that consists of two approaches. First, by setting a designated restricted speed, the train controls its running time to arrive at the next station in accordance with predicted delay. Second, the train predicts the time at which it will reach the current braking profile generated by Digital ATC, along with the time when the braking profile transits ahead. By comparing them, the train correctly chooses the coasting drive mode in advance to avoid deceleration due to the current braking profile. We evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed method regarding driving conditions, energy consumption, and reduction of delays by simulation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 175(3): 65–73, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.10020/eej.21080     

Elevated plasma bile acids in hypergalactosaemic neonates: a diagnostic clue to portosystemic shunts

To determine whether plasma levels of total bile acids may provide a useful index for hypergalactosaemia due to porto-systemic shunts, these levels were determined in hypergalactosaemic neonates. Increased levels were found in all cases with portohepatic venous or portocaval shunts. The levels of both total bile acids and galactose were normalized when the shunts disappeared on the echograms. Both bile acids and galactose are almost completely absorbed by the liver via the first portal blood passage. Portosystemic shunts contribute to elevated levels of bile acids and galactose. CONCLUSION: Increased plasma levels of total bile acids serve as a diagnostic clue to the presence of portosystemic shunts in neonates with hypergalactosaemia.