Decomposition of Perfluorinated Compounds in Water by DC Plasma within Oxygen Bubbles

Complete decomposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) at a concentration of 41.4 mg/L and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at a concentration of 60 mg/L in water was successfully completed by DC plasma within oxygen bubbles. PFOA and PFOS were decomposed completely after 3‐h operation and 8‐h operation, respectively. The decomposition efficiency was evaluated by measuring the amounts of fluorine ions that were detached from PFOA and PFOS in the solution. As indicated by the measurement of LC/MS, the main byproducts generated during the plasma treatment turned out to be perfluorocarboxylic acids. For practical application, 2‐parallel operation of DC plasma was also demonstrated as a basic technology for a large capacity reactor. The decomposition efficiency of 2‐parallel operation was at the same level as that of single operation.     

Development of lithium vapor injector for boundary control

A lithium (Li) vapor injector for boundary control has been developed. A diverter covered with lithium is expected to reduce particle recycling. Recycling reduction is considered to be one of the triggers for the L-H transition. In this paper, the method of lithium dispersion is investigated under the assumption that the experiment is carried out in the Large Helical Device in National Institute for fusion Science, Japan (LHD). A performance test is performed on a prototype of the vapor injector. The amount of injected lithium was approximately 1% of the value expected from the vapor pressure data, due to the generation of lithium oxide. It is also found that nozzle temperature is quite important to suppress the Li dispersion.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks composed of diisocyanate‐bridged,four‐armed,star‐shaped ε‐caprolactone oligomers and poly(ε‐caprolactone)

Semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (S‐IPNs) were prepared by the reactions of hydroxyl‐terminated four‐armed, star‐shaped ε‐caprolactone oligomers with degrees of polymerization per one oligocaprolactone chain (ns) of 3, 5, and 10 and 2,4‐tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) in the presence of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL). In the dynamic mechanical analysis of the S‐IPN [2,4‐tolylene diisocyanate bridged hydroxyl‐terminated four‐armed, star‐shaped ε‐caprolactone oligomer (TH4CLO)/PCL], only one tan δ peak was observed; its temperature increased with increasing TH4CLO content and with decreasing n value. Differential scanning calorimetric analyses of the TH4CLOs and TH4CLO/PCLs revealed that the TH4CLOs with ns of 3 and 5 were amorphous, whereas TH4CLO with an n of 10 was semicrystalline and that the crystallization of the PCL chain for TH4CLO/PCLs was more strongly disturbed with increasing TH4CLO content and decreasing n value. Although the tensile strength, modulus, and elongation at break of TH4CLO were much lower than those of PCL, those values increased with the n value. Although the tensile strength and modulus of the TH4CLO/PCLs decreased with increasing TH4CLO content, TH4CLO (n = 3)/PCL 50/50 showed the highest elongation at break (314%) among the S‐IPNs because of the suppression of crystallization of the polycaprolactone chain. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4229–4236, 2013     

Chemiluminescence of polyethylene induced by UV irradiation

Summary The chemiluminescence (CL) of polyethylene (PE) film induced by UV irradiation was investigated. CL parameter, I₀, which indicates the oxidation rate under UV irradiation was obtained from a kinetic analysis. The I₀ was found to be valuable to evaluate the durability of PE films.     

Flow dynamics in Taylor–Couette flow reactor with axial distribution of temperature

In this study, the flow dynamics of a Taylor–Couette flow with an axial distribution of temperature was experimentally investigated. The flow can be classified into three patterns based on the balance between the centrifugal force and the buoyancy. If the buoyancy is dominant, global heat convection is observed instead of Taylor vortices (Case I). When the buoyancy is comparable to the centrifugal force, the Taylor vortices and global heat convection appear alternately (Case II). If the centrifugal force is sufficiently high to suppress the buoyancy, stable Taylor vortices are observed (Case III). The characteristics of the mixing/diffusion are investigated by conducting a decolorization experiment on a passive tracer. In Case II, the tracer is rapidly decolorized in the presence of the global heat convection instead of the Taylor vortices. This result implies that the interaction between the centrifugal force and the buoyancy would induce an anomalous transport. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1075–1082, 2018     

Sequence‐Specific DNA Photosplitting of Crosslinked DNAs Containing the 3‐Cyanovinylcarbazole Nucleoside by Using DNA Strand Displacement

An oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) containing the ultrafast reversible 3‐cyanovinylcarbazole (^CNVK) photo‐crosslinker was photo‐crosslinked to a complementary strand upon exposure to 366 nm irradiation and photosplit by use of 312 nm irradiation. In this paper we report that the photoreaction of ^CNVK on irradiation at 366 nm involves a photostationary state and that its reaction can be controlled by temperature. Guided by this new insight, we proposed and have now demonstrated previously unknown photosplitting of ^CNVK aided by DNA strand displacement as an alternative to heating. The photo‐crosslinked double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) underwent >80 % photosplitting aided by DNA strand displacement on irradiation at 366 nm without heating. In this photosplitting based on DNA strand displacement, the relative thermal stability of the invader strand with respect to the template strands plays an important role, and an invader strand/template strand system that is more stable than the passenger strand/template strand system induces photosplitting without heating. This new strand‐displacement‐aided photosplitting occurred in a sequence‐specific manner through irradiation at 366 nm in the presence of an invader strand.     

Prototype of Phase-Change Channel Transistor for Both Nonvolatile Memory and Current Control

We prototyped phase-change (PC) channel transistors and demonstrated two functions of nonvolatile memory and channel current control. We have developed prototype transistors that use a PC channel instead of a silicon channel. The PC material of a Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin film with a thickness of 50 nm was used. We demonstrated a memory function whereby we achieved a reversible change between the crystalline and amorphous phases by applying a source-drain (SD) voltage for Joule heating. In the experiment, the applied voltages for PC between amorphous and crystalline phases were from 5 to 8 V. Control of the channel current was realized by applying a gate bias. The SD current was suppressed to less than 1/20 of that at a gate bias of -3 V by applying a gate bias of 0-3 V     

A close correlation in the expression patterns of Af-6 and Usp9x in Sertoli and granulosa cells of mouse testis and ovary

Usp9x, an X-linked deubiquitylating enzyme, is stage dependently expressed in the supporting cells (i.e. Sertoli cells and granulosa cells) and germ cells during mouse gametogenesis. Af-6, a cell junction protein, has been identified as a substrate of Usp9x, suggesting a possible association between Usp9x and Af-6 in spermatogenesis and oogenesis. In this study, we examined the expression pattern of Af-6 and Usp9x and their intracellular localization in testes and ovaries of mice treated with or without pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), an FSH-like hormone. In both testes and ovaries, Af-6 expression was predominantly observed in supporting cells, as well as in steroidogenic cells, but not in any germ cells. In Sertoli cells, Af-6 was continuously expressed throughout postnatal and adult stages, where both Af-6 and Usp9x were enriched at the sites of Sertoli-Sertoli and Sertoli-spermatid junctions especially at stages XI-VI. In the granulosa cells, Af-6, as well as Usp9x, was highly expressed in primordial and primary follicles, but its expression rapidly decreased after the late-secondary follicle stage. Interestingly, in PMSG-treated mice, the expression levels of Af-6 and Usp9x were synchronously enhanced, slightly in Sertoli cells and strongly in granulosa cells of the late-secondary and Graafian follicles. Such closely correlated expression patterns between Af-6 and Usp9x clearly suggest that Af-6 may be deubiquitylated by Usp9x in both Sertoli and granulosa cells. It further suggests that the post-translational regulation of Af-6 by Usp9x may be one potential pathway to control the cell adhesion dynamics in mammalian gametogenesis.     

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks composed of poly(l-lactide) and diisocyanate-bridged 4-arm star-shaped ɛ-caprolactone oligomers

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) were prepared by reactions of methylenediphenyl 4,4’-diisocyanate (MDI) and hydroxy-terminated 4-arm star-shaped ε-caprolactone oligomers (H4CLO_n's) with the degrees of polymerization per one arm, n = 3, 5 and 10 in the presence of poly(l-lactide) (PLA). Morphologies, thermal and mechanical properties of the MDI-bridged H4CLO_n (MH4CLO_n)/PLA semi-IPNs were evaluated by comparing with those of poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL)/PLA blends. Two tan δ peaks related to MH4CLO_n and PLA were observed in a dynamic mechanical curve of the semi-IPN. Although all the semi-IPNs and blends had micro-phase separated morphologies, the phase-separated droplets of MH4CLO₅/PLA 50/50 were much finer than those of PCL/PLA 50/50. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses revealed that MH4CLO₃ and MH4CLO₅ are substantially amorphous, while MH4CLO₁₀ is semi-crystalline, and that cold crystallization of the PLA component of MH4CLO_n/PLA is more strongly disturbed for the semi-IPN with a smaller n value and more MH4CLO_n content. Tensile modulus, toughness and elongation at break of MH4CLO₅/PLA 50/50 semi-IPN were much higher than those of PCL/PLA 50/50 blend.     

Tribo-electrification of particles under sudden change of fluid flow in the junction between branch pipe and straight pipe

An experimental investigation of the tribo-electrification of glass beads fed by an ejector has been conducted by measuring both the current generated at the pipe wall and the specific-charge measured by a Faraday cage under sudden change of fluid flow in the junction between a stainless-steel branch pipe and a stainless-steel straight pipe. In measuring a current per unit mass, for D_p,50 ? 206 μm at the branch pipe section the current has a positive value as expected by the contact potential difference between glass beads and stainless-steel. On the other hand, for D_p,50 ? 105 μm at the branch and straight pipe section, the current has a negative value couldn’t be explained solely by the contact potential difference. In measuring a specific-charge by the Faraday cage, the specific-charge has a negative highest value at the ejector. The negative specific-charge decreases along the particle flow direction. Therefore, an “unusual” charge-transfer, which couldn’t be explained solely by the contact potential difference, was confirmed also by the Faraday cage. Although the charge-transfer between the beads and the inclined stainless plate with high impact speed has been examined, the sign of the current is positive for all data. It was found that the “unusual” charge-transfer in this study couldn’t be caused by the high speed impaction. An negative current in air by using a stainless steel needle detected at the ejector for D_p,50 = 51 μm while an positive current in air detected at the branch and straight pipe. The reason is suggested that the ion balance in the air does not keep between the ejector and the branch pipe due to both the adsorption of some negative ions on the pipe wall and the decrement of negative charge of particles. Therefore the “unusual” charge-transfer consists of not only the ionization caused by the self-discharge but also an adsorption of ions on the inner wall of the pipe.