Ozonation of C.I. Reactive Yellow 3 and Further Decrease in Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentration by Post-Biodegradation

Using C.I. Reactive Yellow 3 as the target compound, the effect of the combined use of ozonation and post-biodegradation on the decrease in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration was investigated, and the synergistic effect (the difference in the amounts of DOC removed by the biological process between solutions with and without ozonation) was estimated. A decrease in DOC concentration was observed during ozonation and ΔO₃/ΔDOC was decreased from 16.0 to 5.2 with increasing ozonation time. Moreover, an enhancement of biodegradability was shown. A further decrease in DOC concentration was observed during the biodegradation after ozonation. The total amount of DOC removed by the combined method was increased from 73.6 mg at 30 min to 159.9 mg at 4 h. The synergistic effect was in the range of 22.7 to 39.2 mg. BOD₅ was a better indicator of the synergistic effect than BOD₅/DOC.     

Structure–Property Relationship in BT-Based Dielectrics for Ni-MLCC: Modification of Grain Boundary

Structure–property relationship in BaTiO₃ (BT)-based dielectrics for multi-layer ceramic capacitors with nickel internal electrode was investigated using samples having various HoO_3/2 concentrations by measuring temperature characteristics of capacitance, voltage–current characteristics, lifetime at highly accelerated life test, high-resolution analytical electron microscope, and frequency response at elevated temperature and ultra-low frequency. It was concluded that the addition of Ho affected the shell and grain boundary (GB) characteristics. Incorporation of Ho into BT perovskite lattice and the change in GB characteristics along with the doped concentration of HoO_3/2 were discussed to better understand the role of doped Ho₂O₃.     

Characteristics and Reactivity of Lignin in Acacia and Eucalyptus Woods

The chemical characteristics of lignin, including the Klason lignin content, acid-soluble lignin content, proportion of the aromatic ring types [syringyl ratio = syringyl/(syringyl + guaiacyl)], and proportion of the diastereomeric forms for the β-O-4 structure [erythro ratio = erythro/(erythro + threo)], and pulpability were investigated for 28 wood samples belonging to the genera Acacia and Eucalyptus. Although the lignin characteristics of these 28 woods varied widely, the chemical characteristics of the two genera could be categorized in two clearly distinguished groups on the basis of the syringyl ratio. Clear negative correlations were observed between both the syringyl and erythro ratios and the total lignin content (sum of the Klason and acid-soluble lignin contents) within each genus. In addition, the syringyl ratio correlated positively with the erythro ratio and acid-soluble lignin content, regardless of the genus. The existence of a clear, high correlation between the syringyl and erythro ratios supports the hypothesis that the aromatic ring type (syringyl ratio) is a decisive factor for controlling the diastereomeric forms of the β-O-4 structure (erythro ratio). Each of the wood samples was also subjected to Kraft pulping, and it was demonstrated that the woods with higher syringyl ratios were easier to delignify. This tendency is reasonably attributed to the high reactivity of the erythro-rich and syringyl-rich β-O-4 structures, and the low lignin content of these syringyl-rich woods.     

Mercury contamination in the Yatsushiro Sea, south-western Japan: spatial variations of mercury in sediment

Mercury-contaminated effluent was discharged into Minamata Bay from a chemical plant over a 20-year period until 1965 (from 1958 to 1959, effluent was discharged into Minamata River), causing Minamata disease. In an effort to characterize the extent of the contamination in the Yatsushiro Sea, the vertical and horizontal distributions of mercury in sediment were investigated. Sediment was sampled at 62 locations in the southern part of the sea from 4 to 6 March 1996. In the lower layers of the long cores of sediment, the total amount of mercury was at a relatively uniform low concentration. We interpret these low values to represent the background concentration absent of anthropogenic influence. The background value thus estimated for the Yatsushiro Sea was 0.059 +/- 0.013 mg kg(-1) (mean +/- S.D., n = 51). The highest concentration in each sample ranged from 0.086 to 3.46 mg kg(-1) (mean, 0.57 mg kg(-1)). The higher values were obtained at stations near Minamata Bay and the Minamata River (the sources of the pollution). Concentrations decreased with distance from the source. An inspection of the vertical profiles of mercury concentration in cores suggested that the deposited mercury had not been fixed in sediment but had been transported, despite 30 years having past since the last discharge of contaminated effluent. At nine stations, extractable inorganic and organic mercury concentrations were determined differentially. Inorganic mercury is the predominant species in sediment and organic mercury comprising approximately 1% of the total.     

Sex hormonal modulation of hyperbolic discount factor in men.

Hormones in the brain have many types of visceral influences on social behavior and economic decision-making. Although hormone-associated visceral effects attract attention in neuroeconomics, little is known regarding the relationship between sex hormones and hyperbolic discounting. Furthermore, although the “discount factor” (a parameter indicating patience in intertemporal choice) is economically relevant and has neural correlates, most neuroeconomic studies on intertemporal choice have been focusing on neuromodulation of logged discount rates, which sometimes results in difficulty in interpretation. This study was aimed to examine linear correlations between chronic sex hormone levels and hyperbolic discount factors of gains and losses in healthy male students. Participants’ salivary sex hormone (testosterone) levels were also assessed. We observed a positive linear relationship between testosterone levels and hyperbolic discount factor of gains; while no linear relationship between testosterone levels and discount factor of losses was observed. The results indicate that (i) chronic elevation in testosterone may be associated with patience (indicated by a discount factor) in intertemporal choice on gains, (ii) testosterone is unrelated to discounting of delayed losses. Implications for sex hormone-related visceral effects on problematic decision-making (e.g. addiction) and possible neuroendocrinological mechanism (e.g. conversion of testosterone into female hormones in the brain) are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Novel HDD-type SNDM ferroelectric data storage system aimed at high-speed data transfer with single probe operation

In this study, several read/write tests were conducted using a novel ferroelectric data storage test system equipped with a spindle motor, targeted at high-speed data transfer using a single probe head. A periodically inverted signal can be read out correctly with a bit rate of 100 kbps using this test system, and 10 Mbps data transfer is also possible during writing operations. The effect of a dc-offset voltage applied to the writing waveform with high-speed probe scanning is discussed. In addition, a novel noncontact probe height control technique was adopted to solve the problem of tip abrasion.     

Measuring cosmic-ray exposure in aircraft using real-time personal dosemeters

Aircrew exposure to radiation was measured on several long-haul flights using two small commercial electronic personal dosemeters: one was a photon dosemeter, the NRF20; the other was a neutron dosemeter, the NRY21-both manufactured by Fuji Electric Systems Co. Ltd. for radiation protection at nuclear facilities. Non-neutron doses were measured using the photon dosemeter, and neutron doses were measured using the neutron dosemeter. The measured non-neutron doses at commercial aviation altitudes agree with the EPCARD (European Program Package for the Calculation of Aviation Route Doses) dose calculation within a difference of 8 %. However, the recorded neutron doses were 5-15 times larger than the EPCARD calculation. These over-measurements are dependent on cut-off rigidities.     

Crystal and electronic structure change determined by various method for delithiation process of Lix(Ni,Mn)O2-based cathode material

We investigated effects of delithiation on crystal, electronic structure, thermodynamic stability and physical property of Li_xNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ by using a chemical delithiation treatment with ammonium peroxodisulfate, and compared the results with those of electrochemical delithiation. X-ray diffraction and thermodynamic data indicated that there was no phase transition in the samples after the chemical delithiation treatment within the lithium range of 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 1.00. From the ICP measurements and potentiometric titration, it was found that the chemical treatment successfully remove Li from the structure without any elution of Ni and Mn, but it accompanied O₂ removal at an initial process of the delithiation, i.e. 0.80 ≤ x ≤ 1.00. Crystal and electronic structure analyses also suggested such a O₂ removal at the lithium content range in the chemical delithiation method, although the estimated structure changes below x = 0.80 showed similar tendencies to those by the electrochemical delithiation.