Electrical Breakdown Properties and Space Charge Formation in High Temperature Region in Ultraviolet Ray Irradiated PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most popular insulating material for electric wiring instruments. However, an exothermic reaction above 150 °C may cause deterioration of the insulating properties of PVC. Therefore, it is important to clarify the heat degradation in PVC, not only to investigate the ignition of electrical wiring products but also to use electrical products safely. It is known that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation causes chemical deterioration of PVC and an increase in its conductivity. Generally, it has been thought that the electrical breakdown properties, electrical conduction, and insulating performance are affected by space charge accumulation in an insulating material. A high temperature pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) system usable up to 250 °C has been developed, and the PEA system can measure the space charge distribution and conduction current in the high temperature range simultaneously. In this investigation, the space charge distribution and conduction current were measured up to electrical breakdown in a non‐UV irradiated sample (normal PVC) and in 353 nm and 253 nm UV‐irradiated PVC samples in the range from room temperature to 200 °C in a DC electric field. In the short wavelength UV irradiated PVC sample (253 nm, 300 h), a deterioration of breakdown strength at 90 °C to 150 °C and negative packet‐like charges were observed at 60 °C and 100 °C, a positive charge accumulated in front of both the anode and cathode above 90 °C, and a higher electric field near the cathode side because the positive charge of the cathode side was greater.     

Pinpoint injection of microtools for minimally invasive micromanipulation of microbe by laser trap

This paper reports transportation of the target microbe by the laser trapped microtools with minimum laser irradiation to the target. The size of a microtool (MT) is around micrometer. The MTs are manipulated by the focused laser under the microscope to manipulate the target microbe. Here we propose a pinpoint injection method of MTs at the desired location in the microchamber, which is filled with liquid. At first, we classified the injection method of the MTs in four categories. Here we employed a new method to install the MTs inside the microchamber. We developed a MT holding chip to install the MTs. The MTs were injected in the microchamber, and were manipulated successfully by the laser scanning micromanipulator to transport the target microbe for separation. The proposed method is useful for the pinpoint injection of MTs and separation by the indirect micromanipulation.     

Efficiency of repeated batch penicillin fermentation using two fermentors. Computer simulation and optimisation

Repeated batch operation using two fermentors (RBTF) to penicillin fermentation was demonstrated by computer simulation to improve productivity. Three operation modes were compared: chemostat, repeated batch operation using a single fermentor (RBSF) and RBTF; in each case account was made of the lag period before growth. The simulated fermentor performances were assessed on the basis of the penicillin productivity and concentration; the simulation was based on published batch fermentation data. It was shown that RBTF was superior to RBSF and chemostat. The advantage of RBTF increased as the lag period became greater.     

Comparison of activities in selective catalytic reduction of NOx by C3H8 over Co/MFI, Fe/MFI, and H/MFI zeolite catalysts

The Co/MFI(SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 30) were prepared by a precipitation method with NaOCl in alkali solutions exhibited high activities to N₂ at 250 °C for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x. These catalysts showed two UV–vis bands at 700 and 400 nm, indicating the presence of octahedral Co(III) as well as tetrahedral Co(II). The high SCR activity over such Co(III, II)/MFI(30) seems to come from Co(III)---O moieties. The Co(II)MFI(30) catalysts prepared from Co(II)Cl₂ exhibited low SCR activities due to the presence of tetrahedral Co(II) ions in MFI. Less CO formation occurred over Co/MFI catalysts. The Fe/MFI(30) catalyst exhibited high activity due to the presence of some Fe---O species in MFI but more amount of CO were produced during SCR. H/MFI(30) catalyst exhibited a good SCR activity. However, more amount of carbonaceous deposits were produced on it. The correlation between acid concentration and SCR activity was discussed over H/MFIs.     

Generation of gas bubbles in microflow using micropipette with ultrasound

Ultrasound was applied to a micropipette micromixer to improve dispersion of gas and liquid in a microchannel. Flow visualization using a high-speed camera was performed to examine the effect of ultrasonic irradiation on bubble generation in the microchannel. Basically, nitrogen gas was injected using a (0.5 µm ID) glass micropipette into ethanol flowing in a rectangular (100 µm×200 µm) microchannel on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Gas and liquid flow rates were regulated using mass flow controllers. At aflow condition that is typical of bubbly flow, ultrasound was transmitted into the microchannel using a piezo-electric (PZT) transducer over a range of operating voltages (2 to 200 Vp-p) and frequencies (50 to 60 kHz). Images captured during the action of the PZT transducer indicate that bubble formation is influenced by ultrasound. When subjected to ultrasound above 50 Vp-p and at the resonant frequency of the PZT transducer, bubbles formed that were smaller and closer together, signifying enhanced shearing of the gas at the micropipette tip by the liquid. The observation of gas slugs occurring sooner might be attributed to the coalescence of gas bubbles that became closely spaced.     

Prostaglandin E receptor subtypes in mouse osteoblastic cell line

PGE2 is one of the key molecules in the osteoblast. It is the major prostanoid in the bone, and its production is under the control of both systemic and local factors. PGE2 has been reported to have multiple actions in the osteoblast, such as growth promotion and cell differentiation. To better understand the action of PGE2 in the osteoblast, we determined the PGE receptor subtypes in MC3T3-E1, an osteoblastic cell line derived from the normal mouse calvaria. Northern blot analysis revealed that EP1 and EP4 subtypes are expressed in MC3T3-E1. In contrast, EP3 subtype was not detected by either Northern blot analysis or RT-PCR. The contribution of each subtype was evaluated by studying the effects of subtype-specific analogs on osteoblastic function at confluency and 5 days after confluency. An EP1 agonist, 17-phenyl-omega-trinor PGE2, increased DNA synthesis and decreased alkaline phosphatase activity. 11-Deoxy-PGE1, and EP2 and EP4 agonist, decreased DNA synthesis and increased alkaline phosphatase activity at both stages. Butaprost, an EP2-selective agonist, showed effects similar to those of 11-deoxy-PGE1 only at confluency. Another and more differentiated osteoblastic marker, osteocalcin production, was detectable and was stimulated by 11-deoxy-PGE1 only 5 days after confluency. The exposure of these cells to EP1 agonist changed the cell shape to a more fibroblastic appearance. These results indicate that EP1, EP4, and probably EP2 are present in MC3T3-E1 cells; EP1 promotes cell growth, and EP2 and EP4 mediate differentiation of the osteoblast. Furthermore, the decreased response to EP2-specific agonist 5 days after confluency suggests that the expression of PGE receptor subtype is dependent on the stage of osteoblastic differentiation. This is the first report to determine PGE receptor subtypes in the bone.     

Preferential Oxidation of CO in H2-Rich Gas at Low Temperatures over Au Nanoparticles Supported on Metal Oxides

We investigated Au catalysts supported on TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, and ZnO for their preferential oxidation of CO in a H₂-rich atmosphere. Both full conversion and selectivity were achieved over Au/Fe₂O₃ and Au/ZnO around room temperature, but at higher temperatures the CO conversion was suppressed due to competition between CO and H₂.     

Numerical modelling for scattering of waves in three-dimensional cracked material

In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed for the problem of the scattering of plane waves in a three-dimensional cracked materials. Instead of obtaining closed-form solutions as in conventional theoretical analysis methods, this approach, called the Equivalent Nodal Force (ENF) method formulates the mechanical effects of cracks as an equivalent nodal force in a numerical procedure, and physically translates cracked material into an equivalent continuous one. Several mechanical relations between waves and cracks are evident from this method. Also the results of several numerical calculations are presented and these are compared with those obtained by the conventional methods.     

Wasserabsorptionseigenschaften natürlicher polyionenkomplexe

As the cationic component of natural polymer polyionic complexes, polysaccharide chitosan or polypeptide polylysine, and as the anionic component, polysaccharide carboxymethyl cellulose (=CMC) or polypeptide poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) were used. The degree of chitosan/CMC or polylysine/PGA complex film swelling was minimum, when the amounts of the cationic and anionic groups in these polymers were balanced at 1 : 1 ratio. On the other hand, the degree of chitosan/PGA film swelling was minimum at the ratio with excess of PGA which is a linear flexible chain. Comparing the enthalpies estimated by DSC analysis, it was suggested that the larger quantity of water in the form of nonfreezable bound water was absorbed in the complex films with polysaccharide which is a chain of ring structure. Further, the compressive moduli of swollen complex films were high, when the complex consisted of polysaccharide components.     

Preparation of SiB4±x and SiB6 plates by chemical vapour deposition of SiCl4 + B2H6 system

SiB_4±x and SiB₆ plates were prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using SiCl₄, B₂H₆ and H₂ gases under the conditions of deposition temperatures (T _dep) from 1323–1773 K, total gas pressures (P _tot) from 4–40 kPa and B/Si source gas ratio (m _B/Si=2B₂H₆/SiCl₄) from 0.2–2.8. The effects of CVD conditions on the morphology, structure and composition of the deposits were examined. High-purity and high-density SiB_4±x and SiB₆ plates about 1 mm thick were obtained at the deposition rates of 71 and 47 nm s⁻¹, respectively. The lattice parameter, composition and density of CVD SiB_4±x plates were dependent on their non-stoichiometry. The lattice parameter,a, was 0.6325 nm, butc ranged from 1.262–1.271 nm.The B/Si atomic ratio ranged from 3.1–5.0, and the density ranged from 2.39–2.45×10³ kg m⁻³. The CVD SiB₆ plates showed constant values of lattice parameters (a=1.444 nm,b=1.828 nm,c=0.9915 nm), composition (B/Si=6.0) and density (2.42×10³ kg m⁻³), independent of CVD conditions.