A Novel Ex Vivo Bone Culture Model for Regulation of Collagen/Apatite Preferential Orientation by Mechanical Loading

The anisotropic microstructure of bone, composed of collagen fibers and biological apatite crystallites, is an important determinant of its mechanical properties. Recent studies have revealed that the preferential orientation of collagen/apatite composites is closely related to the direction and magnitude of in vivo principal stress. However, the mechanism of alteration in the collagen/apatite microstructure to adapt to the mechanical environment remains unclear. In this study, we established a novel ex vivo bone culture system using embryonic mouse femurs, which enabled artificial control of the mechanical environment. The mineralized femur length significantly increased following cultivation; uniaxial mechanical loading promoted chondrocyte hypertrophy in the growth plates of embryonic mouse femurs. Compressive mechanical loading using the ex vivo bone culture system induced a higher anisotropic microstructure than that observed in the unloaded femur. Osteocytes in the anisotropic bone microstructure were elongated and aligned along the long axis of the femur, which corresponded to the principal loading direction. The ex vivo uniaxial mechanical loading successfully induced the formation of an oriented collagen/apatite microstructure via osteocyte mechano-sensation in a manner quite similar to the in vivo environment.     

Management of Cirrhotic Ascites under the Add-on Administration of Tolvaptan

Tolvaptan is a recently available diuretic that blocks arginine vasopressin receptor 2 in the renal collecting duct. Its diuretic mechanism involves selective water reabsorption by affecting the water reabsorption receptor aquaporin 2. Given that liver cirrhosis patients exhibit hyponatremia due to their pseudo-aldosteronism and usage of natriuretic agents, a sodium maintaining agent, such as tolvaptan, is physiologically preferable. However, large scale studies indicating the patients for whom this would be effective and describing management under its use have been insufficient. The appropriate management of cirrhosis patients treated with tolvaptan should be investigated. In the present review, we collected articles investigating the effectiveness of tolvaptan and factors associated with survival and summarized their management reports. Earlier administration of tolvaptan before increasing the doses of natriuretic agents is recommended because this may preserve effective arterial blood volume.     

Formation of fine particles from residual oil combustion: Reducing nuclei through the addition of inorganic sorbent

The potential use of sorbents to manage emissions of ultrafine metal nuclei from residual oil combustion was investigated by using an 82-kW-rated laboratory-scale refractory-lined combustor. Without sorbent addition, baseline measurements of the fly ash particle size distribution (PSD) and chemical composition indicate that most of the metals contained in the residual oil form ultrafine particles (∼0.1 μm diameter). These results are consistent with particle formation via mechanisms of ash vaporization and subsequent particle nucleation and growth. Equilibrium calculations predict metal vaporization at flame temperatures and were used to define regions above the dew point for the major metal constituents (iron [Fe], nickel [Ni], vanadium [V], and zinc [Zn]) where vapor-phase metal and solidphase sorbents could interact. The addition of dispersed kaolinite powder resulted in an approximate 35% reduction in the ultrafine nuclei as determined by changes to the PSDs as well as the size-dependent chemical composition.     

Innovative Steam Drying of Empty Fruit Bunch with High Energy Efficiency

Empty fruit bunch (EFB) is one of the solid wastes from crude palm oil mills and has the lowest value for utilization compared to other solid wastes. To achieve an efficient utilization of EFB, drying is considered the first crucial process due to the high moisture content of EFB. In this study, EFB drying based on exergy recovery is proposed to achieve high energy efficiency. A fluidized bed is adopted as the main dryer. The proposed model is evaluated in terms of energy efficiency, especially regarding the influence of target moisture content and fluidization velocity. Up to 92% of the energy involved in the drying process can be recirculated. The total energy consumption for drying decreases as the target moisture content decreases, though there is no significant impact of fluidization velocity to total energy consumption. In addition, the required total length of the heat transfer tubes immersed inside the fluidized bed dryer is calculated because it relates to fluidization performance and economic issues. Lower target moisture content results in a longer heat transfer tube, and higher fluidization velocity leads to a shorter heat transfer tube.     

Extraction and recovery of soft metal ion by porous silica coated by hydrophilic polymer gel with hexavalent nitrogen-donor ligand

A hydrophilic N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) gel copolymerized with a hexavalent nitrogen donor ligand, N,N,N’,N’-tetrakis(4-propenyloxy-2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPPEN), adsorbs soft metals selectively from the acidic aqueous phase. We are developing porous silica particles coating the TPPEN-NIPA gel with high TPPEN content thinly on the pore surface of porous silica by a new gel-coating method using surface tension. Half of the pore volume of the silica particles remained by the coating of the TPPEN-NIPA gel with the high TPPEN content of 30 mol%. A large separation factor (SF) of Cd(II)/Eu(III) of 60 was observed at pH 2. The proposed chromatographic agent with the high TPPEN content is applicable for practical use.     

Hierarchical constraint distribution of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers with different preparation methods

The hierarchical constraint characteristics of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) fibers with different structures were evaluated by in situ wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) measurement during heating. Two UHMW-PE fibers were used in this study, an original gel-spun fiber and a processed fiber that was tensile-drawn from the original fiber above the static equilibrium melting temperature of PE. A difference in fiber processing induced change in constraint distribution attributed to morphological heterogeneity. The original gel-spun fiber, which had a heterogeneous structure, induced the constraint distribution because of the obvious existence of skin and core. In contrast, the tensile-drawn fiber, which had a homogeneous structure formed by the fusion adhesion between twisted single yarn surfaces, depressed the constraint distribution. These results demonstrate that a difference in fiber processing induces change in hierarchical characteristics with different structural dimensions.     

High Selective deNO x Electrochemical Cell with Self-Assembled Electro-Catalytic Electrode

A new family of electrochemical cells for decomposition of NO gas in the presence of excess O₂, in which the cathode was covered with mixed oxide layer of NiO and YSZ (electro-catalytic electrode) were designed and investigated. The deNO_x properties were increased by microstructural and compositional control of the electro-catalytic electrode. Nano-size Ni grains were self-assembled at NiO/YSZ interfaces by oxidation-reduction reaction of the NiO during the cell operation. In order to use the reduced Ni for NO decomposition reaction effectively, the authors investigated multilayering of the electro-catalytic electrode. Through this process, the adsorption of coexisting O₂ was prevented and the deNO_x properties of the electrochemical cell were improved.     

Combustion characteristics in oil-vaporizing sustained by radiant heat reflux enhanced with higher porous ceramics

Liquid vaporizing combustion in porous ceramic burner has fine flame stability and characteristic of low emission. On the other hand, vaporization control has been seldom mentioned. In this work, kerosene vaporizing type combustor equipped with a porous ceramic plate, which has the porosity of 85%, is developed in order to enhance a rate of vaporization of the liquid fuel. The stability of combustion and NO_x emission characteristics were investigated in fuel vaporizing ceramic combustion. The plate burner is made of Al₂O₃ ceramic which has an optical-thickness of 0.54. The optically thin ceramics improved flame stability and enhances more fuel vaporization rate than optically thick ceramics. The thermal radiation energy from flame and the furnace walls can penetrate easily through the large pore of the ceramic plate. It is found possible to dispense the electric power for the fuel vaporization and the stable combustion is self-sustained by enhancement of vaporization, where the reflux rate of radiant heat was no less than 2% of the heating value.     

Contribution of the γ-hydroxy group to the β-O-4 bond cleavage of lignin model compounds in a basic system using tert-butoxide

Abstract

The most common non-phenolic β-O-4-type lignin model compounds with or without the γ-hydroxymethyl group (C₆-C₃- or C₆-C₂-type, respectively) were treated in a 0.5?mol/L potassium tert-butoxide in DMSO solution at 30?°C to examine the effects of presence of the group. The β-O-4 bond of the C₆-C₃-type cleaved more rapidly than the C₆-C₂-type, indicating that the γ-hydroxy group contributes to the cleavage, in contrast to their reactions in alkaline pulping processes. Furthermore, the β-O-4 bond of the threo isomer of the C₆-C₃-type cleaved more rapidly than that of the erythro isomer. This result can be attributed to the fact that the erythro isomer has the hydrogen bond between a generated alkoxide and the other hydroxy group at its α- and γ-positions in its most-preferential conformer, interfering with the β-O-4 bond cleavage. It was also suggested in treatments of their methyl-etherified derivatives at the α- or γ-hydroxy group that the contribution of the γ-hydroxy group of the threo isomer is greater than that of the erythro isomer. Detailed examination of the distribution profile of reaction products supported this greater contribution of the γ-hydroxy group of the threo isomer.