Laser spectroscopic measurement of quenching and doublet mixing rates of the Na(3P(3/2, 1/2)) doublet in a propane-air flame

We have measured the quenching rate of the Na 3P level and the doublet mixing rates of the Na 3P(3/2) and 3P(1/2) levels in a propane-air flame at atmospheric pressure. To obtain these rates, subnanosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements were made using a mode-locked dye laser and the time-correlated single-photon counting method. Our results are 1.4 x 10(9) s(-1) for the quenching rate and 3.0 x 10(9) s(-1) for the 3P(3/2) --> 3P(1/2) mixing rate.     

Local Epidermal Endocrine Estrogen Protects Human Melanocytes against Oxidative Stress,a Novel Insight into Vitiligo Pathology

As the outermost barrier of the body, skin is a major target of oxidative stress. In the brain, estrogen has been reported synthesized locally and protects neurons from oxidative stress. Here, we explored whether estrogen is also locally synthesized in the skin to protect from oxidative stress and whether aberrant local estrogen synthesis is involved in skin disorders. Enzymes and estrogen receptor expression in skin cells were examined first by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analyses. Interestingly, the estrogen synthesis enzyme was mainly localized in epidermal keratinocytes and estrogen receptors were mainly expressed in melanocytes among 13 kinds of cultured human skin cells. The most abundant estrogen synthesis enzyme expressed in the epidermis was 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17β1) localized in keratinocytes, and the most dominant estrogen receptor expressed in the epidermis was G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) in melanocytes. To investigate whether keratinocyte-derived estradiol could protect melanocytes from oxidative stress, cultured human primary epidermal melanocytes (HEMn-MPs) were treated with H₂O₂ in the presence or absence of 17β estradiol or co-cultured with HSD17β1 siRNA-transfected keratinocytes. Keratinocyte-derived estradiol exhibited protective effects against H₂O₂-induced cell death. Further, reduced expression of HSD17β1 in the epidermis of skin from vitiligo patients was observed compared to the skin from healthy donors or in the normal portions of the skin in vitiligo patients. Our results suggest a possible new target for interventions that may be used in combination with current therapies for patients with vitiligo.     

Corrosion rate of magnesium and its alloys in buffered chloride solutions

The effect of the buffer capacity of test solution on the corrosion rate of cast pure (>99.95 mass%) and high-purity (>99.9999 mass%) magnesium, and AZ31 and AZ91E has been studied. Their corrosion rates were measured gravimetrically in a pH 6.5 and a pH 9 borate buffer including chloride ions, and in a conventional chloride solution. Except for the AZ91E in the pH 6.5, the corrosion rates of all the examined materials depended solely on the pH of the test solution, although the materials had a variety of purity and alloying elements. Higher buffer capacity probably masked the detrimental effect of the “cathodic impurities”. The corrosion rates measured in the buffers were considered as giving the resistivity of the passive film to anodic reactions. The high-purity magnesium had a fair corrosion resistance even in conventional chloride solution.     

Surface modification of tetrafluoroethylene–perfluoroalkyl vinylether copolymer (PFA) by plasmas for copper metallization

Tetrafluoroethylene–perfluoroalkyl vinylether copolymer (PFA) sheet surfaces were modified with argon, helium, oxygen, and hydrogen plasmas. How the four plasmas modified the PFA sheet surfaces was investigated. All plasmas modified the PFA surfaces and at the same time initiated degradation of the PFA polymer chains. The balance between modification and degradation was strongly influenced by the magnitude of the discharge current in the plasmas. Efficiency of the plasmas in modification was hydrogen plasma > oxygen plasma > argon plasma > helium plasma. The modification involved defluorination of CF₂ carbons into CHF and CH₂ carbons and oxidation into O? CH₂, O? CHF, and O? CF₂ groups. The surface‐modification technique (a combination of hydrogen plasma treatment and silane coupling treatment) proposed in this study was applied for copper metallization of the PFA surface. The utility of the technique was confirmed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1087–1097, 2002     

Properties of aqueous solutions of several salts of α,ω-alkanediol disulfates

Several salts of α,ω-sulfates, MO₃SO(CH₂)_n OSO₃M(n=12, 14, 16, 18, and M=Li, Na, and K) were prepared from the corresponding α,ω-alkane diols. The Krafft points of these α,ω-sulfates with common counterion as estimated by electroconductivity measurements increased with the increase of the hydrocarbon chain length, and the effect of the counterions on the Krafft points of the α,ω-sulfates with the same hydrocarbon chain length was in the order : Li<Na<K. Solutions of the α,ω-sulfates, except disodium dodecanediol disulfate, showed two break points corresponding to the first and second critical micelle concentration in each plot of the electroconductivity as a function of the concentration. The existence of the second break point suggested that another aggregation of rearrangement of the existing aggregates occurs in α,ω-sulfate solutions in addition to the usual micelle formation. The first and second break points of α,ω-sulfates with sodium counterion decreased logarithmically with increasing total number of methylene groups. The relationships were given as follows: log(first break point)=−0.138Nc−0.095; log(second break point)=−0.104Nc−0.251. The effect of the counterions upon the break points of α,ω-sulfates with the same hydrocarbon chain length was in accordance with their positions in the lyotropic series.     

Studies on the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of olefinic protons of conjugated fatty acid methyl esters

The NMR spectra of olefinic protons in the four representative conjugated fatty acid methyl esters, methylcis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoate, methyltrans-9,trans-11-octadecadienoate, methyl α eleostearate, and methyl β eleostearate, were studied. The chemical shift of each olefinic proton in these compounds was determined by considering their intramolecular environment. Coupling constants were also obtained as the results of spectral analysis.     

A novel agglomeration granulating system utilizing a centrifugal-fluidizing drive

Necessary conditions were studied for the optimum operation of agglomeration granulation. The mechanisms that would realize these conditions were investigated by several experiments.On the basis of the results obtained, a novel granulating system involving a surface wetness control mechanism has been developed.The present paper describes the mixing and dispersing characteristics of the coating vessel, the detection method for wetness control, the particular spraying units, and the operating conditions thereof, together with the characteristics of this newly developed powder coating granulation system.This system has been shown to provide an easy and reproducible granulating technique even when products below 1 mm in size are required.     

Development of reel-to-reel microchip mounting system for fabrication of meter-long LED lighting tapes

We have developed a reel-to-reel microchip mounting system that continuously mounts LED chips and other microchips on meter-long flexible printed circuit board (PCB) tape for 1.2-m-long standard LED light tubes. Mounting microchips on meter-long PCBs is difficult because a large chip mounter is expensive and the chip positioning stage is difficult to move in a meter-wide area with an accuracy of hundreds of micrometers. Hence, we developed a new microchip mounting system that utilizes a small chip mounter and reel winding machines. The system repeatedly moves the long PCB tape by a certain length with the reel winding machines and mounts the chips on it. The PCB tape (which is 5 mm wide) is made by fabricating long PCB tapes which are 25 cm × 26.6 m through a roll-to-roll PCB process and slitting them into meter-long tapes. The reel-to-reel system repeatedly mounts chips by adjusting their positions through image processing of the copper wiring pattern on the PCBs. Our constructed system mounted 24 LED chips with a pitch of 5 cm with an accuracy of 0.082 mm to form a 1.2-m-long LED tape. The luminance of the tape is 12.4 lx at a distance of 1 m, which is the luminance of outdoor corridor lighting. Therefore, this system can be used for meter-long tape lighting.     

Poly(pyridine-2,5-diyl)–CuCl2 catalyst for synthesis of dimethyl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of methanol: catalytic activity and corrosion influence

A -conjugated polymer, poly(pyridine-2,5-diyl) (PPy) was investigated as a support for CuCl₂ in the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of methanol. The PPy–CuCl₂ adduct had high catalytic activity which was comparable to that of the homogeneous CuCl₂ catalyst. The adduct caused corrosion of stainless-steel vessels only to minor extent, compared with the homogeneous CuCl₂ catalyst. This PPy–CuCl₂ catalyst was easily recycled by filtration and showed a similar catalytic activity in the third time use. The presence of the -conjugated system in PPy, through which electrons can move, may bring about the high catalytic activity for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol, which involves Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox processes.