Kinetic studies on lipase-catalyzed acetylation of 2-alkanol with vinyl acetate in organic solvent

Lipase-catalyzed acetylation of 2-alkanol with vinyl acetate has been studied kinetically using Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL), enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-2-alkanols and different organic solvents. The rate equation was derived by the steady state method for the simplified mechanism. The second order rate constants (k(R) and k(S)) for (R)- and (S)-2-alkanols were evaluated from the slopes of the double reciprocal plots, v(-1) vs. [2-alkanol](-1), where v is the initial rate of the reaction. The log k(R) value increased with the solvent hydrophobicity log P, where P is a partition coefficient of a given solvent between octanol and water. The log k(S) value also increased with log P except the bulky solvents such as 1,4-dioxane and cyclohexane, in which the rates were faster than those expected from the log k(S) vs. log P plot. The slope of log k(S) vs. log P plot was larger than that for (R)-2-alkanol. Thus, log E (E=k(R)/k(S): enantioselectivity) decreased with log P except the bulky solvents. The rate constants and the enantioselectivity were different depending on the structure (carbon number CN) of 2-alkanol. The log E vs. CN plot was minimized at CN=8 and 10 and the log k(S) vs. CN plot maximized at CN=8 and 10. In contrast the log k(R) vs. CN plot showed a different feature from the log E vs. CN plot. These facts suggest that dependence of E on CN is more strongly affected by the reactivity of (S)-2-alkanol than that of (R) isomer in this acetylation.     

Random exchanges of non-conserved amino acid residues among four parental termite cellulases by family shuffling improved thermostability

There have been two major problems preventing applications of termite cellulases; one was difficulty for their hetelologous overexpression, and another is their low thermostability. We previously achieved adaptation of termite cellulase genes to an overexpression system of Escherichia coli by family shuffling of four orthologous cDNAs (Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 2005; 69: 1711-1720). Using the adapted mutant cDNAs as parental genes combined with native-form cDNAs, we performed further family shuffling and obtained mutant cDNAs, which gave enzymes with improved thermostability. The best-evolved clone (PA68) was improved by 10 degrees C in maximum stability (retaining 90% original activity for 30 min incubation) from the parental enzymes, and kept 54% of its original activity for 150 min at 50 degrees C, whereas the most thermostable enzyme amongst the parents (A18) retained 30% of its original activity. PA68 showed 889 (micromoles of reducing sugars/min/mg of protein) in V(max) and 560 (micromoles of reducing sugars/min/mg of protein) in the specific activity against carboxymethylcellulose, which corresponds to 9.8 and 13.1 times of those of one of the ancestral enzymes rRsEG. In summary, we improved thermostability of the termite cellulase and increased the V(max) value and specific activity by combining only cDNAs encoding enzymes adapted for normal temperatures.     

Encapsulation-release property of amphiphilic hyperbranched d-glucan as a unimolecular reverse micelle

The synthesis of a novel unimolecular reverse micelle, the hyperbranched d-glucan carbamate (3), was accomplished through the carbamation reaction of the hyperbranched d-glucan (1) with the N-carbonyl l-leucine ethyl ester (2) in pyridine at 100 °C. Polymer 3 was soluble in a large variety of organic solvents, such as methanol, acetone, chloroform, and ethyl acetate, and insoluble in water, which remarkably differed from the solubility of 1. The degree of carbamate substitution (DS) for 3 was controlled by the feed rate of 2, and the DS values were in the range of 46.0-93.7%. Polymer 3 possessed the encapsulation ability for water-soluble molecules, such as rose bengal, thymol blue, and alizarin yellow in chloroform, and the encapsulation ability depended on the hydrophilicity of 3 and the molecular size of the dye. The rose bengal (RB) encapsulated polymer (RB/3) showed a slow release from the RB/3 system into water at neutral pH, while the release rate was significantly accelerated by the hydrolysis of the hydrophobic polymer shell under basic conditions.     

Experimental verification of the effect of a voltage‐detection‐based shunt active filter for harmonic damping throughout a power distribution line

This paper is focused on a voltage‐detection‐based shunt active filter for installation on a power distribution system. A main objective of the active filter is to achieve damping of harmonic propagation coming from series/parallel resonance between capacitors for power factor correction and line inductors in the distribution system. The active filter installed at the end terminal of a distribution feeder is controlled in such a way as to present infinite impedance to the external circuit for the fundamental frequency, and to exhibit low resistance for harmonic frequencies. As a result, the active filter acts as a damping resistor for the harmonic propagation, like a 50‐Ω terminator installed at the end of a signal transmission line. It is verified by experiment that the active filter intended for harmonic termination has the capability of harmonic damping throughout the distribution feeder. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 133(2): 1–10, 2000     

A three‐phase hybrid stepping motor drive system combined with position‐sensorless closed‐loop control

This paper proposes a drive system for a three‐phase hybrid stepping motor, combining sensorless closed‐loop control with conventional open‐loop control. It is characterized by sophisticated control providing both prevention of pulling out from synchronism and suppression of natural rotor oscillation, without any position sensor attached to the motor shaft. A switching technique in chopper control which can enlarge the speed range controllable in the sensorless closed‐loop control is described. Starting and stopping sequences are developed to reduce mechanical natural oscillation produced in the transient state. Finally, the proposed drive system is compared experimentally with a conventional constant‐current open‐loop drive system. It is shown that the proposed drive system can perform the switchover from starting to sensorless closed‐loop operation within 20 ms, and can reduce the natural oscillation caused just after positioning. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(3): 80–90, 2000     

Control and performance of a zero‐current‐switched,three‐phase PWM inverter equipped with resonant circuits on the ac side

This paper presents a zero‐current‐switched voltage‐fed inverter equipped with resonant circuits on the ac side. The current flowing through a switching device, that is, IGBT, is the sum of the load current and the resonant current. When the amplitude of the resonant current is larger than that of the load current, the current in the switching device becomes zero at an instant in each resonant cycle. This allows the switching device to be turned on or off at the zero current. The zero‐current switching makes a significant contribution to reduction of switching losses and electromagnetic noises. In this paper, the principle of zero‐current‐switching operation, along with a novel control scheme, is described from a theoretical and practical point of view. Experimental results obtained from a laboratory system of 5 kVA verify the practicability. Moreover, the switching and conduction losses of the proposed soft‐switched inverter are compared with those of a conventional hard‐switched inverter. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(4): 85–95, 2000     

Extracellular Environment-Controlled Angiogenesis,and Potential Application for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Endothelial cells acquire different phenotypes to establish functional vascular networks. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling induces endothelial proliferation, migration, and survival to regulate vascular development, which leads to the construction of a vascular plexuses with a regular morphology. The spatiotemporal localization of angiogenic factors and the extracellular matrix play fundamental roles in ensuring the proper regulation of angiogenesis. This review article highlights how and what kinds of extracellular environmental molecules regulate angiogenesis. Close interactions between the vascular and neural systems involve shared molecular mechanisms to coordinate developmental and regenerative processes. This review article focuses on current knowledge about the roles of angiogenesis in peripheral nerve regeneration and the latest therapeutic strategies for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury.     

Control schemes and transient characteristics of a high‐speed phase shifter for power flow control in power transmission systems

In recent years, attention has been paid to the concept of FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems), along with significant progress in power electronic technology. A high‐speed phase shifter, which is one of the most promising devices in the FACTS concept, has the potential of power flow control and/or voltage stability in power transmission systems. In this paper, theory and experiment reveal that conventional high‐speed phase shifters may cause power swings in a transient state as a result of coupling between instantaneous active and reactive power control loops. Thus, two new control schemes for a high‐speed phase shifter are proposed to achieve both power flow control and power swing damping. The second proposed control scheme is based on the control scheme of an already proposed series active filter. Simulated and experimental results agree well with analytical results, not only in steady states but also in transient states. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 128(2): 74–82, 1999     

Hydrogen isotope permeation from cooling water through various metal piping

In order to investigate the behavior of hydrogen isotope on the water–metal boundary, deuterium permeation experiments from heavy water vessel through various metal piping, such as pure iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), stainless steel (SS304), and pure iron with 10 μm gold plating, were performed at 573 K and at 15 MPa. During the experiment, surfaces of metal piping except gold plating one were oxidized at the heavy water boundary and then deuterium would generate by the oxidation reactions. This deuterium could be detected by mass spectrometer, which monitored the inside gases of the piping under continuous evacuation. The result showed clearly that the deuterium permeated through Fe, Ni, and SS304 piping was detected as mainly deuterium gas (D₂) under continuous evacuation, though that through gold plating one could not be detected effectively. The D₂ permeation rate through Fe, Ni, and SS304 piping reached equilibrium conditions with oxide generation at D₂O–metal boundary, although concluding the transfer mechanism will require further testing and modeling activities.     

Stress-Induced Resistivity Anomaly in Semiconducting Barium Titanate Ceramic Wire

Thin, semiconducting BaTiO₃ ceramic wires prepared in the present study exhibited reversible stress-induced, nonlinear current—;voltage characteristics across several grain boundaries. A remarkable change in resistance with the application (by the three-point bending method) of only ∼1% tensile deformation indicated that the BaTiO₃ wires may have potential as stress-sensing devices. Resistance in the BaTiO₃ wires bot increased and decreased with increasing tensile stress parallel to the electric fields, far below the ferroelectric transition temperature, T _c; in Sr-substituted wires near T _c, on the other hand, resistance only increased. Detailed studies of the patterns and fluctuation of polarization at grain boundaries could be meaningful, because stress-sensing characteristics may be induced by changes in the relative angle between polarization vectors of adjacent grains.