Basic experimental results of liquid CO2 injection intothe deep ocean

CO₂ disposal in the deep ocean is expected to be an effective option for mitigating the increase in CO₂ on the earth. The authors have investigated the behaviour of liquid CO₂ using test facilities which can simulate the pressure and temperature of the deep ocean. Phase equilibrium data of the CO₂ -seawater system and the conditions of CO₂ clathrate formation were confirmed. In addition, the authors measured the pH value of seawater saturated with CO₂ at high pressure. The data presented in this paper are considered indispensable for evaluating the possibility of CO₂ disposal in the deep ocean     

Differential decreases in c-fos and aldolase C mRNA expression in the rat cerebellum after repeated administration of methamphetamine

The current studies were carried out to examine the basis for the differences in the antigenic peptides generated from exogenous and endogenous forms of hen egg white lysozyme (HEL). The role of different intracellular compartments in the generation and binding of HEL peptides derived from two endogenous forms of HEL, either secreted (sHEL) or retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, KDELHEL), presented by MHC class II molecules was examined and compared to exogenous HEL. Initially it was found that antigen-presenting cells bearing both intracellular forms of HEL generated and presented a number of IAk-restricted HEL epitopes to T cell hybridomas, although sHEL was processed more efficiently than KDEL-HEL. There were differences, however, for some determinants between endogenous and exogenous HEL. At equivalent antigen-presenting efficiencies, endogenous HEL-bearing cells displayed a lower surface density of IAk-bound HEL-52-61-related peptides than cells pulsed with exogenous HEL, as detected by a specific monoclonal antibody. Neither endogenous HEL degradation nor peptide binding to MHC class II molecules occurred in the ER. Processing of sHEL and KDELHEL appears to take place either in a post-trans-Golgi network acidic compartment or in the cytosol, whereas peptide binding to MHC class II molecules occurs in endocytic compartments. Furthermore, the peptides generated were derived from an endogenous source rather than from secreted and re-endocytosed HEL. Thus, processing of endogenous HEL is from a different pool than exogenous HEL and occurs in different compartments.     

Characterization and thermodynamic study of humic acid in deep groundwater at Horonobe,Hokkaido, Japan

In this study, humic substances (humic acid and fulvic acid) were isolated from deep groundwater at ?350 m depth of Horonobe, Hokkaido, Japan to compare the characteristic property and reaction mechanism with generic humic acid isolated from surface soils. The size distributions of Horonobe humic substances were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography, flow-field flow fractionation, and total organic carbon measurement with ultrafiltration. All of them indicated small molecular weight and particle size of Horonobe humic acid in comparison with generic humic acids. Additionally, the simple protonation behavior of Horonobe humic substances similar to benzoic acid and/or phenol was revealed by thermodynamic quantities obtained by potentiometry and calorimetry. Consequently, molecular size and the reaction mechanism of Horonobe humic substances are different from generic humic acids, due to the characteristic origin.