EFFECT OF TRIAXIAL STRESS CONSTRAINT ON THE DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF POLYMERS

One purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview on the research status of deformation,fracture and toughening mechanisms of polymers,including experimental,theoretical and numerical studies.Emphasis is on the more recent progresses of micromechanics of rubber particle cavitation and crazing,and the de- velopment of fracture criteria for ductile polymers. The other purpose is to study the effect of triaxial stress constraint on the deforma- tion and fracture behavior of polymers.Polycarbonate(PC),acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene(ABS)and PC/ABS alloy are considered in this investigation.A series of circumferentially blunt-notched bars are used to experimentally generate different tri- axial stress fields.The fracture surfaces of specimens with different notch radius are examined by scanning electron microscope(SEM)to study the fracture and tough- ening mechanisms of polymer alloy.It is shown that the triaxial stress constraint has a significant effect on the deformation,fracture and toughening of PC,ABS and PC/ABS alloy.We will also discuss the extent to which a micromechanies criterion proposed by the first author can serve as a fracture criterion for ductile polymers. A new ductile fracture parameter is emphasized,which can be employed to evaluate the fracture ductility of polymers.Stress state independence of the parameter for the PC,ABS and PC/ABS alloy has been experimentally verified.

Secondary Metabolites Produced by an Endophytic Fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora

An endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora isolated from the fruits of Manilkara zapota was cultured in potato dextrose broth media.Chromatographic separation of the EtOAc extract of the broth and mycelium led to the isolation of a new azaphilonoid named pitholide E(1),in addition to previously identified pitholide B(2),pitholide D(3),pestalotin(LL-P880α)(4),PC-2(5),LL-P880β(6),tyrosol(7)and 4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-acetic acid(8).An endophytic fungus P.microspora from M.zapota and the isolation of compounds 1-5,7 and 8 from P.microspora are reported here for the first time.

Coordination, Compromise, and Change： A Case of US-Japan Conflict Over Commercial Whaling

This paper, for the goal of revealing the mechanism of compromise and change in coordination, will focus on US-Japan conflict over commercial whaling. The regime like the international whaling regulation, where countries agree in general but disagree on coordination methods, is known as the Battle of the Sexes in game theory. It has been believed that in regimes presented as the Battle of the Sexes （BoS） situation, once the countries could somehow coordinate their interests and reach an agreement on the specific method of coordination, neither country would have the incentive to withdraw from that agreement. This case study, however, shows that this belief is not always true. From the analysis of this study, it will be concluded that coordination methods change over time even in regimes where the countries agree in general and disagree on coordination methods. In this case, ＂power,＂ ＂institution＂ and ＂consensus＂ are pointed out as incentives to make the two countries accept a specific coordination method.

A Preliminary Study on Fertilization Biology between Epinephelus coioides(♀) and Epinephelus lanceolatus(♂)

Crossbreeding between Epinephelas coioides （ ♀ ） and Epinephelus lanceolatus （♂） was conducted by artificial insemination. Fertilized eggs were col- lected at 0, 30, 90 s, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 min post-insemination respectively, which were fixed by Smith＇s solution, embedded by paraffins and stained by H.E. According to the characteristics of Epinephelus coioides eggs, tissue section method was modified. The results showed that the sperms of Epinephelus lanceolatus rapidly entered the eggs of Epinephelus coioides at 30 s - 1 rain post-insemination. Observation results of tissue sections showed that mature eggs of Epinephelus coioides remained at metaphase of secondary maturation division. The eggs were activated after sperm penetration into the egg. With the develop- ment of secondary maturation division, at 2 rain post-insemination, eggs reached the metaphase of secondary maturation division ; at 3 - 6 rain post-insemination, sperm asters appeared; at 5 min post-insemination, eggs extruded secondary polar body; at 7 -15 rain post-insemination, male pronucleus and female pronucleus moved closer to each other and fused finally, forming a clear junction line; subsequently, zygote nucleus formed and karyotheca became faint; at 15 min pest-insem- ination, first karvokinetic division was develoued.

High Performance Control of Matrix Converter Fed Induction Motor Drive System

Matrix converter fed motor drive is superior to pulse width modulation inverter drives since it not only provides bi-directional power flow,sinusoidal input/output currents,unity input power factor,but also allows a compact design due to the lack of DC-link capacitors for energy storage.In this paper,model and control of matrix converter fed induction motor drive system are analyzed.A combined control strategy is simplified and improved,which realizes space vector pulse width modulation of matrix converter and rotor flux oriented vector control technique for induction motor drive simultaneously.This control strategy combines the advantages of matrix converter with the good drive performance of vector control technique.Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Production of small molecules by an endophytic fungus,Neofusicoccum parvum from the fruits of Elaeocarpus serratus

Neofusicoccum parvum,an endophytic fungus isolated from Elaeocarpus serratus(Ceylon Olive;family Elaeocarpaceae),was grown for 3 weeks in potato dextrose broth.Chromatographic separation of the ethyl acetate extracts from the culture filtrate and mycelium over silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 and preparative thin layer chromatography furnished(R)-7-hydroxymellein(1),(3R,4R)-4-hydroxymellein(2),(3R,4S)-4-hydroxymellein(3),(R)-5-hydroxymellein(4),(R)-mellein(5),(3R,4R)-4,7-dihydroxymellein(6),(6R,7S)-dia-asperlin(7),CJ-14445(8)and 13,14,15,16-tetranorlabd-7-ene-19,6β:12,17-diolide(9).The structures of known compounds 1–9 were determined by spectroscopic methods and comparison with reported data.This is the first report of the isolation of an endophytic fungus from E.serratus,and the isolation of compounds 1,4,6,8 and 9 from N.parvum.It is important to note that compounds 1–7 are small molecules with an oxygen heterocyclic ring system.These compounds can be used as starting materials in the synthesis of pharmaceutically important large molecules with oxygen heterocyles.

Non-invasive prediction of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in Japanese patients with morbid obesity by artificial intelligence using rule extraction technology

AIM To construct a non-invasive prediction algorithm for predicting non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH), we investigated Japanese morbidly obese patients using artificial intelligence with rule extraction technology.METHODS Consecutive patients who required bariatric surgery underwent a liver biopsy during the operation. Standard clinical, anthropometric, biochemical measurements were used as parameters to predict NASH and were analyzed using rule extraction technology. One hundred and two patients, including 79 NASH and 23 non-NASH patients were analyzed in order to create the predictionmodel, another cohort with 77 patients including 65 NASH and 12 non-NASH patients were analyzed to validate the algorithm.RESULTS Alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance, albumin were extracted as predictors of NASH using a recursive-rule extraction algorithm. When we adopted the extracted rules for the validation cohort using a highly accurate rule extraction algorithm, the predictive accuracy was 79.2%. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value,sensitivity and specificity were 88.9%, 35.7%, 86.2% and 41.7%, respectively.CONCLUSION We successfully generated a useful model for predicting NASH in Japanese morbidly obese patients based on their biochemical profile using a rule extraction algorithm.

Measuring the Cognitive Impact of Laughter on Elderly People with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Japan

Objective: To evaluate the effect of laughter on cognition in elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through an appropriately designed intervention. Methods: The intervention involved watching a Japanese comedy routine (Manzai) for approximately twenty minutes, once a week for ten weeks. Participants were asked to paint, as a simple exercise, in addition to watching the show. Twenty-seven patients with MCI from the convalescent ward of a general hospital in the Kansai region of Japan. We measured cognition by evaluating five cognitive function domains before (baseline) and after the intervention. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank test, a distribution-free method, to compare baseline and post-intervention data. Ethical Consideration: Participants were given a document explaining the study. Only those who officially agreed to participate were enrolled. Results: Mean age of patients was 85.0 ± 2.8 years;average education was 8.6 ± 2.8 years. Three cognitive function domains had significantly different average scores after the intervention: 1) Exercise: 44.4 ± 8.9 points at baseline, 36.3 ± 10.2 post-intervention (p = 0.014);2) Word memory: 40.6 ± 7.2 at baseline, 43.1 ± 8.8 post-intervention (p = 0.002);and 3) Animal name recollection: 35.3 ± 8.4 at baseline, 38.1 ± 9.0 post-intervention (p = 0.003). Discussion: The intervention led to significantly higher cognitive scores in exercise, word memory, and animal name recollection domains, suggesting that interventions focused on laughter and simple exercise may improve cognition in elderly patients with MCI.

Characterization of Bucolome N-Glucuronide Formation: Tissue Specificity and Identification of Rat UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Isoform (s)

Bucolome N-glucuronide (BCP-NG, main metabolite of bucolome (BCP) is the first N-glucuronide of barbituric acid derivatives isolated from rat bile. The objective of this study was to identify the main tissue producing BCP-NG and the molecular species of BCP-NG-producing UGT. Four target tissues were investigated: the liver, small and large intestines, and kidney. To identify the UGT molecular species responsible for BCP-NG formation, yeast microsomes expressing each rat UGT isoform were prepared. BCP-NG formation was detected in all microsomal fractions of the 4 tissues. The liver microsomal BCP-NG-producing activity was the highest, followed by that in the small intestinal microsomes, showing about 41% of the liver microsomal activity level. BCP-NG-producing activity (min-1) was determined in yeast microsomal fractions expressing rat UGT isoforms, and the activity was detected in UGT1A1 (0.059), UGT1A2 (0.318), UGT1A3 (0.001), UGT1A7 (0.003), UGT2B1 (0.004), UGT2B3 (0.091), and UGT2B6 (0.031), showing particularly high levels for UGT1A1 and UGT1A2 among the UGT1A isoforms. It was clarified that UGT1A1, widely distributed in rat tissues, is the molecular species responsible for BCP-NG formation.

Amino Acid Biosynthesis and Proteolysis in <i>Lactobacillus Bulgaricus</i>Revisited: A Genomic Comparison

The amino acid biosynthesis and proteolytic system of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (L.Bulgaricus ) is important for its growth in niche-specific environments, as well as for flavour formation in the food industry. Comparative analyses of 4 completed sequences of the L.Bulgaricus strain genome on a genomic scale revealed that genes involved in amino acids synthesis were undergoing reductive evolution. However, the selected industrial strains, namely, L.Bulgaricus 2038 and L.Bulgaricus ND02, retained more complete genes in the amino acid synthesis and proteolytic system category than the laboratory strains, and have some unique genes and pathways for obtaining amino acids that enable these bacteria to adapt to their various environmental niches.

Negative Parity States in ^(39)Cl Configured by Crossing Major Shell Orbits

Traditional "magic numbers" were once regarded as immutable throughout the nuclear chart. However, unexpected changes were found for unstable nuclei around N = 20. With both proton and neutron numbers around the magic number of 20, the neutron-rich ^(39)Cl isotope provides a good test case for the study of the quantumstate evolution across the major shell. In the present work, the negative parity states in ^(39)Cl are investigated through the β decay spectroscopy of 39 S. Newly observed γ transitions together with a new state are assigned into the level scheme of ^(39)Cl. The spin parity of 5/2^- for the lowest negative parity state in ^(39)Cl is reconfirmed using the combined γ transition information. These systematic observations of the negative parity states in ^(39)Cl allow a comprehensive comparison with the theoretical descriptions. The lowest 5/2^- state in ^(39)Cl remains exotic in terms of comparisons with existing theoretical calculations and with the neighboring isotopes having similar single-particle configurations. Further experimental and theoretical investigations are suggested.

The Quality of Medicines in Community Pharmacies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS)-Based Survey

Objectives: To classify community pharmacies (CPs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in terms of the quality of medicines sold by them, using?the lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) technique with a predefined threshold. Methods: Riyadh CPs were divided into 2 categories (“lots” for the purpose of LQAS), i.e., chain and independent CPs. Upper and lower rate thresholds for CPs that sell low-quality medicines were predefined as 20% and 5%, respectively. Consumer and provider risks were predefined as 0.05 and 0.10, respectively. The calculated number of randomly selected CPs required in each lot was 36;then, sale of low-quality medicines in >3 CPs implies a prevalence of >20% of such CPs according to LQAS. A randomly selected brand of amoxicillin (selected as a quality indicator of medicines because it is both widely counterfeited and heat-sensitive) was purchased from each pharmacy by a “mystery shopper”, checked for authenticity, and analyzed for drug content and content uniformity using a validated HPLC method. Results: Substandard amoxicillin was purchased in 9 pharmacies (4 chains and 5 independent). Both lots were thus rejected as unacceptable, which may indicate that consumers in Riyadh are at risk of purchasing substandard medicines at CPs. Conclusions: The quality of medicines sold in CPs in Riyadh did not meet our acceptability criterion, and appropriate intervention by decision makers is recommended. LQAS proved to be a practical, economical, and statistically valid sampling method for surveying the quality of medicines. It should enable decision makers to allocate resources for improvement more efficiently.

Germination and appressorium formation of Pyricularia oryzae Cavara can be inhibited by reduced concentration of Blasin~? Flowable with carbon dioxide microbubbles

We investigated the possibility to reduce the usage of Blasin^Flowable （BF）, a disinfectant inhibiting the germination and appressorium formation of Pyricularia oryzae Cavara conidia, by using carbon dioxide microbubbles （CO2MB）. Germination was significantly inhibited by 10 000-fold diluted BF solution containing CO2MB generated by the decompression-type generator compared to CO2 millibubbles （CO2MMB） and CO2MB generated by the gas-water circulating-type generator. Appressodum formation in the 10 000-fold diluted BF solution containing both CO2MBs was less than that in CO2MMB. Scanning electron microscopy showed wrinkles and dents on the surface of conidia treated with 5 000-fold diluted BF solution containing both CO2MBs. Via transmission electron microscopy, we observed the expansion of the vacuole and the intracellular space and bloated or absent lipid granules in the conidia treated with BF solution containing both CO2MBs. Our results show that inhibition of the conidium germination and appressorium formation of P. oryzae Cavara by 10 000-fold diluted BF solution could be achieved by using the decompression-type CO2MB.

Development of a Method to Produce Chromosome Lacking Lines (CLLs) in <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>L. “Red Russian”

Monosomic lines of Nicotiana tabacum are helpful to confirm the location of genes on specific chromosomes. In the cross N. nudicaulis and N. tabacum, hybrid seedlings express lethal symptoms, which are controlled by the S subgenome of N. tabacum. To identify the responsible chromosome, we needed to produce chromosome lacking lines (CLLs) of N. tabacum L. “Red Russian” and use them to cross with N. nudicaulis. From a cross of (N. tabacum × N. tomentosiformis) × N. tabacum, 380 BC1 individuals were obtained. Using a Haplo-Q line (a monosomic line lacking the single linkage group 11) and N. tabacum, we found that qPCR is a simple and reliable screening method for CLLs of N. tabacum. The marker PT30342 is located on linkage group 11, and the -Ct value (Ct Actin - Ct PT30342) was 2.0 for a disomic line and was 1.097 for a Haplo-Q line. By the use of flow cytometry, qPCR and chromosome counting together as a screening method, we identified 6 CLLs lacking 2 to 6 chromosomes. Compared with conventional methods, our method is a rapid technique for making and screening CLLs ofthe S or S/T subgenome of N. tabacum. Further, these CLLs will be useful to identify the location of two or more factors on chromosomes controlling a variety of genetic problems affecting breeding. Here, we only made CLLs of the S or S/T subgenome of N. tabacum. We will use the method established in this study to produce CLLs of the T subgenome of N. tabacum, and gather a full set of CLLs of N. tabacum. qPCR could also be applied to the identification of chromosome aberrations in other plants.

A ＂Paradox＂ in China＇s Environmental Management： An Argument From a Comparative Study on Waste Recycling Policies Between China and Japan

China appears to have a ＂paradox＂ in its environmental management policies. For example, China＇s recycling policies appear paradoxical. With its rapidly expanding economy, China is now the world＇s largest emitter of urban waste. Under such a situation, China is aiming to build up a recycling economy by enacting a number of related laws. Despite the development of waste recycling regulations, however, the load on the environment by continuously increasing waste has not reduced in China so far. What explains this seemingly paradoxical situation of waste recycling in China？ It has been pointed out in the previous study on China＇s climate change policies that environment protection falls under the rubric of sustainable development in China. The question here is whether the same story can be applied to areas other than climate change in China＇s environmental management. This paper examines it in the area of its waste recycling policy. This paper conducts an evaluation of waste recycling regulations in China by comparing it with the experience of Japan, China＇s next-door advanced country. It concludes that the waste recycling regulations in China do not primarily aim at reducing the environmental load by reducing the amount of waste but rather for the main purpose of recycling and reusing resources effectively for the sake of economic development.

Differences in Root Growth and Permeability in the Grafted Combinations of Dutch Tomato Cultivars (Starbuck and Maxifort) and Japanese Cultivars (Reiyo, Receive, and Magnet)

Grafting is widely established in agriculture and provides practical advantages for vegetable production. We investigated physiological differences between the grafted combinations of Dutch (Starbuck and Maxifort) and Japanese (Reiyo, Receive and Magnet) tomato cultivars. Plants were grown hydroponically until the flowers on the first truss bloomed, and the following parameters were measured: fresh weight of the aerial parts, root surface area, root permeability (by using a pressure chamber), and water potential of exudates (by using an isopiestic psychrometer). The Starbuck/Maxifort combination had higher values of the aerial part weight, root surface area, and root permeability than Reiyo/Receive, whereas Reiyo/Maxifort tended to have higher values of these parameters than Reiyo/Receive and Reiyo/Magnet. Maxifort had a significantly larger root surface area than Receive, but root permeability was not significantly different. InReiyo/Maxifort and Starbuck/Receive, these parameters were not significantly different except for a single comparison of root permeability. Thus, root permeability and root surface area may depend not only on the rootstock but be also affected by scion in grafted plants. Water potential of exudates was similar in most combinations and experiments. This shows that three rootstock cultivars provided similar nutrient concentrations even with different scions.

Determination of Heavy Metals at Sub-ppb Levels in Water by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Using a Direct Introduction Technique after Preconcentration with an Iminodiacetate Extraction Disk

A direct analysis method combining an iminodiacetate extraction disk (IED) with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was developed for the determination of Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Sn, Pb, and Bi at sub-ppb levels in water. A 100 mL water sample was adjusted to pH 5.6 with nitric acid and a 1 mol?L–1 ammonium acetate solution, and then passed through an IED (diameter, 47 mm;effective filtering diameter, 35 mm) at a flow rate of 80 - 100 mL?min–1 to preconcentrate seven analytes. The IED was dried at 100?C for 20 min in an electric oven, and 110 - 145 small disks, each 2 mm in diameter, were punched out from the IED. A small disk was introduced into the graphite furnace and atomized according to a heating program. For Cd, Sn, Pb, and Bi measurements, Pd was used as a chemical modifier to enhance the absorbances. Calibration was performed using aqueous standard solutions. The detection limits, corresponding to three times the standard deviation (n = 5) of the blank values, were 0.092 μg·L–1 for Co, 0.12 μg·L–1 for Ni, 0.40 μg·L–1 for Cu, 0.077 μg·L–1 for Cd, 0.92 μg·L–1 for Sn, 0.61 μg·L–1 for Pb, and 0.80 μg·L–1 for Bi with an enrichment factor of 140 using a 100-mL water sample. A spike test for the seven analytes in tap water, rainwater, river water, and mineral drinking water showed quantitative recoveries (93% - 108%).

Improved Optimal Operation Planning Method Based on Tabu Search for Residential PEFC-CGS Considering Ramping Rate

This paper proposes an improved optimal operation planning method for residential PEFC-CGS (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel CellCo-Generation System). Residential PEFC-CGS has recently been gathering attention as one of the distributed power sources with high efficiency and low environmental impacts. Previous research pointed out that the output variations of PEFC adversely affect the durability. It can be surmised that smaller output variations will be desired to extend durability years. However, in this field, ramping rate have not been sufficiently considered. For local search and tabu search, ramping rate constraint makes our operation planning difficult because it restricts the search for feasible neighborhood solutions. Therefore, the authors proposed a method to deal with typical and harsher ramping rate constraints in comparison with conventional methods. There are two key points for the improvement. One is the reinforcement of the search along the output power axis;the other is to make use of the strategy of tabu search which avoids the local optimal solutions. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in the daily operation planning. Furthermore, in the case using typical ramping rate parameter, it is confirmed that tabu search doesn’t contribute the reduction of daily operational cost due to the above stated restriction of the search area.

Coordination, Compromise, and Change： A Case of Japan-China Conflict Over Development Aid

This paper, for the goal of revealing the mechanism of compromise and change in coordination where players agree in general but disagree on coordination methods, clarifies not only the background behind Japan＇s decision of terminating development aid loan to China, but also the reason why the Chinese government decided to accept it. When countries agree on the need to collaborate but are in conflict regarding the specific method, like the case of Japan-China conflict over development aid, one country must always compromise regarding the specific method of coordination. This situation is known as the Battle of the Sexes （BoS） in game theory. It has been believed that countries do not have the incentive to withdraw from the initial agreement under such a situation. This case study, however, reveals that it is not always true. From the analysis of this study, it will be concluded that the agreement reached in the initial negotiation would not be always stable even in a situation where countries agree in general but disagree on coordination methods. In this case, ＂institution＂ and ＂consensus＂ are pointed out as incentives to make countries accept a specific coordination method.

Influence of Different Sterilization Conditions on the Growth and Exopolysaccharide of <i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i>and Co-Cultivation with <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i>subsp. <i>bulgaricus</i>OLL1073R-1

The sterilization conditions between experiment and dairy industrial level are different and concern about influence on product’s qualities. In this study, the fermentation properties of Streptococcus thermophilus, alone and in combination with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, were evaluated in skim milk that had been subjected to distinct sterilization conditions. Growth, organic acid generation, and EPS production were determined using pasteurized or autoclaved milk. When S. thermophilus was cultivated in pasteurized skim milk, the growth was strain-dependent. On the other hand, growth of S. thermophilus was accelerated in autoclaved milk. Exocellular polysaccharide (EPS) production by L. bulgaricus was not affected by the combination of S. thermophilus strains. Thus, we observed that yogurt fermented by L. bulgaricus was minimally affected by the combination of S. thermophilus strains;growth of L. bulgaricus was maintained under the constant environment. These results should facilitate the development of fermented milk produced from L. bulgaricus in the dairy industry.