Electron diffraction study of flake graphite extracted from molten pig iron

Single graphite flakes segregated from molten carbon or silicon-rich iron at 1200° to 1500°C were subjected to electron diffraction experiments. The results indicated that the well developed thick flakes are composed of one single crystal, while the thin almost colorless flakes consist of two or three single crystals oriented with the basal plane parallel to the flake surface and rotated at an angle of 15°, 18°, 22°, 25° or 28° about the C-axis. The stacking of the atomic layers in each single crystal indicates that they are α and β-type, or a more disordered structure, at each instant. Double diffraction evidence and additional electron microdiffraction observations showed that the thin single flake has an aggregate structure with two close-packed single crystals.     

Supramolecular Ligands for Histone Tails by Employing a Multivalent Display of Trisulfonated Calix[4]arenes

Post‐translational modification of histone tails plays critical roles in gene regulation. Thus, molecules recognizing histone tails and controlling their epigenetic modification are desirable as biochemical tools to elucidate regulatory mechanisms. There are, however, only a few synthetic ligands that bind to histone tails with substantial affinity. We report CA2 and CA3, which exhibited sub‐micromolar affinity to histone tails (especially tails with a trimethylated lysine). Multivalent display of trisulfonated calix[4]arene was important for strong binding. CA2 was applicable not only to synthetic tail peptides but also to endogenous histone proteins, and was successfully used to pull‐down endogenous histones from nuclear extract. These findings indicate the utility of these supramolecular ligands as biochemical tools for studying chromatin regulator protein and as a targeting motif in ligand‐directed catalysis to control epigenetic modifications.     

Evaluation of photo-induced cellular damage using photoautotrophic cultures of puk-bung hairy roots as a sensing tool

In photoautotrophic cultures of pak-bung hairy roots, strong light irradiation (22 W/m²) increased the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells, resulting in chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and DNA injury. The Chl degradation rate, R_D, can be used as a parameter to measure the cellular damage caused by photo-induced stress. The presence of the antioxidants ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid or catechin reduced the R_D, while lowering the content of ROS and moderating the DNA injury.     

Mineralogical characterization of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash with an emphasis on heavy metal-bearing phases

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash contains a considerable amount of heavy metals. The occurrence and uneven distribution of these heavy metals in bottom ash can increase the complexity of such residues in terms of long-term behavior upon landfilling or recycling. Bottom ashes sampled from three stoker-type incinerators in Japan were analyzed in this paper. This study presents detailed information on the mineralogical characterization of bottom ash constituents and the weathering behavior of these constituents by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was revealed that bottom ash mainly consists of assorted silicate-based glass phases (48-54 wt% of ash) and mineral phases including melilites, pseudowollastonite, spinels, and metallic inclusions (Fe-P, Fe-S, Fe-Cu, Cu-Sn, Cu-Zn, Cu-S, and Cu-Pb dominated phases), as melt products formed during the incineration process. The compounds embedded in the glass matrix, e.g. spinels and metallic inclusions, played the most important role in concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, etc.). Other phases such as refractory minerals and ceramics, frequently found in ash, were of less significance in terms of their influence on the involvement of heavy metals. Analysis of lab-scale artificially weathered and 10-year landfilled bottom ash samples revealed that secondary mineralization/alteration of the bottom ash constituents principally carbonation and glass evolution substantially decreased the potential risk of the heavy metals to the surrounding environment.     

High Precision,Electrochemical Detection of Reversible Binding of Recombinant Proteins on Wide Bandgap GaN Electrodes Functionalized with Biomembrane Models

We report a novel hybrid charge sensor realized by the deposition of phospholipid monolayers on highly doped n‐GaN electrodes. To detect the binding of recombinant proteins with histidine‐tags, lipid vesicles containing chelator lipids were deposited on GaN electrodes pre‐coated with octadecyltrimethoxysilane monolayers. Owing to its optical transparency, GaN allows the confirmation of the fluidity of supported membranes by fluorescence recovery after photo‐bleaching (FRAP). The electrolyte‐(organic) insulator‐semiconductor (EIS) setup enables one to transduce variations in the surface charge density ΔQ into a change in the interface capacitance ΔC _p and, thus, the flat‐band potential ΔU _FB. The obtained results demonstrate that the membrane‐based charge sensor can reach a high sensitivity to detect reversible changes in the surface charge density on the membranes by the formation of chelator complexes, docking of eGFP with histidine tags, and cancellation by EDTA. The achievable resolution of ΔQ ≥ 0.1 μC/cm² is better than that obtained for membrane‐functionalized p‐GaAs, 0.9 μC/cm², and for ITO coated with a polymer supported lipid monolayer, 2.2 μC/cm². Moreover, we examined the potential application of optically active InGaN/GaN quantum dot structures, for the detection of changes in the surface potential from the photoluminescence signals measured at room temperature.     

Bending fatigue strength of case-carburized helical gears with large helix angles up to 40 degrees

Case-carburizing of helical gears with large helix angles may form too large hardened layers near the tooth width end on the acute angle side (ACUTE-END), and adversely affect the bending fatigue strength. We investigated the bending fatigue strength of casecarburized helical gears with large helix angles up to approximately 40° through a bending fatigue test, hardness test, and residual stress measurement. We found that the case-carburizing formed large hardened layers near ACUTE-END, reduced the compressive residual stress near ACUTE-END, and restricted the improvement of the bending fatigue strength in a meshing state where tooth root stress became large near ACUTE-END. Based on the obtained bending fatigue limits, we revealed that ISO 6336-3:2006 overestimated the rate of increase of the permissible circumferential loads for helix angles exceeding approximately 30°, and ISO/DIS 6336-3:2018 underestimated this rate for helix angles near 30°.

     

Development of sustained-release tablets containing sodium valproate: in vitro and in vivo correlation

We have developed a 200 mg and 400 mg sustained-release sodium valproate tablet that allows effective blood concentration of the active drug with once-a-day dosing. The controlled dissolution or sustained release of the drug was attained by a membrane-controlled system. A single-coating system did not adequately control the dissolution rate, and therefore double-coated tablets were prepared and a human pharmacokinetic study was conducted. With the 200 mg VPA-Na tablets, the nonfasting C_max was only 20% higher than the fasting C_max. An in vitro dissolution test was conducted to predict the effects of food on drug dissolution after administration of this tablet. A relatively good correlation was observed between the absorption profiles and the dissolution profiles of the drug.     

Remodeling of Bone Marrow Niches and Roles of Exosomes in Leukemia

Leukemia is a hematological malignancy that originates from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Significant progress has made in understanding its pathogensis and in establishing chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy (HSCT). However, while the successive development of new therapies, such as molecular-targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have resulted in remarkable advances, the fact remains that some patients still cannot be saved, and resistance to treatment and relapse are still problems that need to be solved in leukemia patients. The bone marrow (BM) niche is a microenvironment that includes hematopoietic stem cells and their supporting cells. Leukemia cells interact with bone marrow niches and modulate them, not only inducing molecular and functional changes but also switching to niches favored by leukemia cells. The latter are closely associated with leukemia progression, suppression of normal hematopoiesis, and chemotherapy resistance, which is precisely the area of ongoing study. Exosomes play an important role in cell-to-cell communication, not only with cells in close proximity but also with those more distant due to the nature of exosomal circulation via body fluids. In leukemia, exosomes play important roles in leukemogenesis, disease progression, and organ invasion, and their usefulness in the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia has recently been reported. The interaction between leukemia cell-derived exosomes and the BM microenvironment has received particular attention. Their interaction is believed to play a very important role; in addition to their diagnostic value, exosomes could serve as a marker for monitoring treatment efficacy and as an aid in overcoming drug resistance, among the many problems in leukemia patients that have yet to be overcome. In this paper, we will review bone marrow niches in leukemia, findings on leukemia-derived exosomes, and exosome-induced changes in bone marrow niches.     

A hydrogen production method using latent heat of liquefied natural gas

In recent years, fuel cell electrical vehicles have offered promise of improving the urban environment. In particular, hydrogen‐fueled FCEVs have been considered for urban use because of their excellent characteristics such as short start‐up time, high responsiveness, and zero emissions. On the other hand, as far as hydrogen production is concerned, large amounts of CO₂ are exhausted into the atmosphere by the process of LNG reforming. In our research, we studied the utilization of LNG latent heat for hydrogen gas production as well as the liquefied hydrogen process. CO₂ capture in the liquid or solid state from hydrogen gas production by LNG was also studied. The results of our research show that the latent heat of LNG is very effective in cooling hydrogen gas for the conventional hydrogen liquefaction process. However, the latent heat LNG is not available for the LNG reforming process. If we want to use LNG latent heat for this process, we must develop a new hydrogen gas production process. In this new method, both hydrogen and CO₂ are cooled directly by LNG, and CO₂ is removed from the reforming gas. In order to make this method practical, we must develop a new type of heat exchanger to prevent solid CO₂ from interfering with performance. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 147(4): 32–42, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10299     

Longitudinal trends in total serum cholesterol levels in a Japanese cohort, 1958-1986

This study is a preliminary examination of the reliability of adolescent self-reported pretreatment alcohol and other drug (AOD) use frequency. Assessments of self-reported pretreatment AOD use were conducted at admission and discharge (approximately a 1-month time period) at an adolescent drug misuser treatment program. The sample consisted of 197 male and female adolescents. There were statistically significant increases between admission and discharge assessments of pretreatment AOD use frequency. The greatest discrepancy was found for alcohol use, in which three-fourths (76%) of the sample reported a higher level of pretreatment alcohol use frequency at discharge assessment as compared to their admission assessment. Over one-third (35%) of the sample was found to have a significantly higher level of pretreatment alcohol use frequency at discharge assessment. The cause of this response discrepancy is unknown, but if it represents underreporting at admission, it may cause diagnostic and referral errors, as well as attenuate effect sizes in treatment outcome studies.