A possible immunosuppressant, cycloprodigiosin hydrochloride, obtained from Pseudoalteromonas denitrificans

Biochemical characteristics of spent fowl meat injected with calcium chloride or sodium chloride were evaluated. Hot-boned breast fillets were injected to 10% (wt/wt) with 0.3 M CaCl2 or 0.6 M NaCl, tumbled, and aged 24 h. Tumbling was conducted at 20 C, -635 mm Hg, 20 rpm for 1 h. Hot-boned and cold-boned (24 h) fillets were used as controls. One fillet from each carcass was baked and sheared with an Allo-Kramer cell, whereas the other fillet was used for biochemical analysis. Shear values indicated that both CaCl2- and NaCl-treated samples had significantly (P < 0.05) lower shear values than hot-boned controls but were similar (P > 0.05) to cold-boned samples. The CaCl2 injection treatment significantly elevated (P < 0.05) the tissue calcium content compared to all other treatments. There was no significant difference in heat-stable collagen content (P > 0.05) among all treatments, which indicated that CaCl2 or NaCl did not contribute to meat tenderness through degradative changes in collagen. Calpain data indicated that mu-calpain had disappeared by 24 h aging in all treatments. The m-calpain activity was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in samples treated with CaCl2 than in the other samples. The NaCl-treated samples had m-calpain activity similar (P > 0.05) to that of hot-boned controls. Sarcomeres of CaCl2-treated samples were significantly shorter (P < 0.05) than those of cold-boned controls, were similar (P > 0.05) to those of hot-boned controls, and were shorter than those of NaCl-treated muscles. The sarcomere length and calpain data suggest that CaCl2 tenderized fillets by ionic strength and calcium-specific effects (possibly a proteolytic action), whereas the NaCl solution tenderized by ionic strength effect at a similar conductivity level to that of the CaCl2 solution.     

Advanced evaluation of thermal ratchetting of FBR components

A new prediction method for the thermal ratchetting of a cylinder subjected to an axially moving temperature distribution is proposed in this paper. This ratchetting is quite different from the conventional Bree-type ratchetting, and an advanced evaluation method has been required in the structural design of FBR components. The proposed method considers the work hardening of actual materials for FBR components. Firstly the basic scheme of the prediction method is shown, and secondly the application procedure to the actual design is shown. Predicted results by using this method coincide well with experimental results, when compared with the case by using the previous method.     

Gas and vapor permeability of perfluoroalkylated polymers

Summary Three polymers bearing benzene rings: polystyrene, poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) and poly(diphenylacetylene), were chemically modified with bis(heptafluorobutyryl) peroxide. The heptafluoropropylated products have higher gas permeabilities than the parent polymers. In the pervaporation of aqueous ethanol, modified poly(diphenylacetylene) showed ethanol permselectivity.     

Impedance characteristics of double-hetero structure laser diodes

The effects of the onset of lasing on the I-V characteristics, the impedance characteristics and the light modulation characteristics of laser diodes have been discussed by introducing the rate equations which involve carrier diffusion process in the active layer interacting with the radiation field intensity. The static I-V characteristics exhibit a kink at lasing threshold current, reflecting the decrease of effective lifetime of carriers. Effective carrier lifetimes decrease with increasing light intensity, which results in a steep attenuation of injected carrier density in the active region. The impedance and light modulation characteristics are obtained in the small signal approximation. The small signal light modulation characteristics depend strongly on whether the laser diode is excited by the constant current modulation or the constant voltage modulation. The impedance is changed drastically by the onset of lasing and exhibits a resonance which coincides exactly with the optical modulation resonance frequency.     

Sinus node recovery time and abnormal postpacing phase in the aged patients with sick sinus syndrome

The sinus node function was evaluated by rapid atrial pacing in 35 aged patients (mean age 78.2 years) including 10 aged controls, 12 cases with various degrees of AV block, 6 with bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome (BTS), and 7 with sinus bradyarrhythmia (SB). AV block was further divided into A-H block (7 cases) and H-V block (5 cases) by His bundle electrogram which was simultaneously recorded with 3 leads of surface electrocardiogram. Sinus node recovery time (SRT) was measured and its maximum value (SRTmax) was selected from SRTs obtained after pacing with various rates and durations in each patient. SRTmax was also expressed as percentage of the control P-P interval (%SRTmax). For patients in whom the study was repeated 3 to 8 months later, %SRTmax was reproducible in 9 of 14 instances. Prolongation of SRT was not always observed as the rate and/or duration of pacing was increased. SRTmax and %SRTmax were 1,363 +/- 188 msec and 147 +/- 19% (mean +/- SD), respectively, for aged controls, 1,597 +/- 442 msec and 156 +/- 31% for patients with AV block, 2,087 +/- 1,315 msec and 203 +/- 132% for those with BTS, and 3,069 +/- 1,287 msec and 247 +/- 115% for those with SB. SRTmax exceeding the range for aged controls was noted in 4 of 7 cases (57%) with A-H block, 2 of 6 (33%) with BTS, and 5 of 7 (71%) with SB; normal SRT was not infrequently observed in patients with sick sinus syndrome, especially in those with BTS. Analysis of 10 consecutive atrial cycles following cessation of pacing revealed that in 8 cases the first P-P interval (SRT) was followed by longer ones in some occasions (secondary suppression). It was observed almost exclusively in patients with sick sinus syndrome. The possibility of this phenomenon to reflect another feature of sinus node abnormality was discussed.     

Estimation method of frequency bias using normal operating data

A technique of calculating the frequency bias of an electric power system from frequency fluctuation data and total output power is described. An evaluation method for testing the calculations by the new method is developed. The results are in good agreement with estimates based on generator speed regulation but the method gives an excessively high figure for the load frequency bias.     

Evaluation of the Parallel Conductor Theory for Measuring Human Limb Blood Flow by Electrical Admittance Plethysmography

We devised a compensation technique that measures the admittance change of a limb submerged in an electrolyte solution in a cylinder. Using this technique, we evaluated the accuracy of admittance plethysmography and the validity of the parallel-conductor model on which the theory of blood flow measurement by electrical admittance (or impedance) plethysmography is based. From a theoretical point of view, if a limb is regarded as a parallel-conductor model, the admittance change due to blood pooling following venous occlusion should disappear when the resistivity of the solution is equal to that of the blood.     

Emissivity of chlorinated polyethylene

The emissivity of chlorinated polyethylene containing varying amounts of combined chlorine has been investigated. It was found that the emissivity of these compounds increases significantly with increase in chlorination.