The objective of this work is to investigate characteristics of counter-current bubbly flow in a circular pipe with an inner diameter of 50
mm by using wire mesh tomography (WMT). The accuracy of WMT ...on void fraction measurement is also clarified by comparing the result with a non-intrusive optical method. The accuracy is within ±10%. Local void fractions of many flow conditions are reported. Local void fraction profile affected by superficial liquid velocity and bubble size is shown and discussed. Furthermore, intrusive effects, including bubble break-up and bubble deceleration, are also investigated. Bubbles passing a transparent wire mesh sensor (WMS) are investigated by the optical method. It is shown that bubbles are broken and decelerated by wires of the sensor. It can be concluded that the bubble break-up rate increase with increasing of bubble velocity. However, the bubble deceleration is not depending on the bubble velocity.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is the principal growth factor regulating the maturation, proliferation and differentiation of the precursor cells of neutrophilic granulocytes and is ...used to treat neutropenia. GCSF is a member of the long-chain subtype of the class 1 cytokine superfamily, which includes growth hormone, erythropoietin, interleukin 6 and oncostatin M (ref. 3). Here we have determined the crystal structure of GCSF complexed to the BN-BC domains, the principal ligand-binding region of the GCSF receptor (GCSFR). The two receptor domains form a complex in a 2:2 ratio with the ligand, with a non-crystallographic pseudo-twofold axis through primarily the interdomain region and secondarily the BC domain. This structural view of a gp130-type receptor-ligand complex presents a new molecular basis for cytokine-receptor recognition.
We investigated the “fringe benefits” of participating in contingent-valuation mail surveys and their effects on respondents' answers. A two-wave panel survey evaluating Japan's anti-global warming ...policies was conducted. One sample was randomly assigned to either of two survey treatment groups with different survey loads. Factor analyses of answers distinguished the survey fringe benefit factor from the environmental concern factor. The correlation between the two factors was smaller for the heavy load group than for the light load group. Estimations of structural equation models showed that survey participation became higher when the survey fringe benefit factor scored higher. This tendency was found regardless of the survey load level. Structural equation models did not confirm a positive correlation between the survey fringe benefit factor and the consistency of WTP answers across survey waves. However, a logistic regression of the answers from the heavy-load group revealed a positive correlation between the consistency of WTP answers and the level of “perception of the survey as a good cause,” which was highly correlated to the fringe benefit factor in the previous factor analyses. This positive relationship was not detected for the light-load group.
A theoretical model has been developed to study the local heat transfer coefficient of a condensing vapour in the presence of a noncondensable gas, where the gas/vapour mixture is flowing downward ...inside a vertical tube. The two-phase heat transfer is analysed using an annular flow pattern with a liquid film at the tube wall and a turbulent gas/vapour core. The gas/vapour core is modeled using the analogy between heat and mass transfer. The model incorporates Nusselt equation with McAdams modifier and Blangetti model for calculating the film heat transfer coefficient, Moody and Wallis correlations to account for film waviness effect on gas/vapour boundary layer. The suction effect due to condensation, developing flow and property variation of the gas phase is also considered. A comparative study of heat transfer coefficient and vapour mass flow rate has been made with various models to account for condensate film resistance and condensate film roughness. Results show that for very high Reynolds number, the condensation heat transfer coefficient is higher than the film heat transfer coefficient.
Industrial yeast strains are generally diploid and are often defective in sporulation. Such strains are hence thought to be less tractable for manipulation by genetic engineering. To facilitate more ...reliable genetic manipulation of the diploid yeast Japanese sake, we constructed variants of this strain that were homozygous for a URA3 deletion, homozygous for either MAT
a or MATα, and homozygous for either the his3 or the lys4 mutation. A ura3-null genotype enabled gene targeting to be undertaken more easily. The TDH3 promoter was inserted upstream of six yeast genes that have been implicated in flavor control to drive their constitutive overexpression. The homozygous MAT alleles, combined with the non-complementary auxotrophic mutations in the targeted transformants, allowed for tetraploid selection through mating. This resulted in the combinatorial construction of tetraploid strains that overexpress two different genes simultaneously. In addition, a recessive mutant gene, sah1-1, that is known to overproduce S-adenosylmethionine, was introduced into the diploid sake strain by the replacement of one wild-type allele and subsequent disruption of the other. The resulting sah1-1/sah1Δ::URA3 strain produced higher amounts of S-adenosylmethionine than the wild type. The novel sake yeast diploid strains we generated in this study can thus undergo simple PCR-mediated gene manipulation and mating in a manner analogous to established laboratory strains. Moreover, none of these sake strains had extraneous sequences, and they are thus suitable for use in commercial applications.
Mononuclear cells infiltrating the interstitium are involved in renal tubulointerstitial injury. The unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is an established experimental model of renal interstitial ...inflammation. In our previous study, we postulated that L-selectin on monocytes is involved in their infiltration into the interstitium by UUO and that a sulfated glycolipid, sulfatide, is the physiological L-selectin ligand in the kidney. Here we tested the above hypothesis using sulfatide- and L-selectin-deficient mice. Sulfatide-deficient mice were generated by gene targeting of the cerebroside sulfotransferase (Cst) gene. Although the L-selectin-IgG chimera protein specifically bound to sulfatide fraction in acidic lipids from wild-type kidney, it did not show such binding in fractions of Cst-/- mice kidney, indicating that sulfatide is the major L-selectin-binding glycolipid in the kidney. The distribution of L-selectin ligand in wild-type mice changed after UUO; sulfatide was relocated from the distal tubules to the peritubular capillaries where monocytes infiltrate, suggesting that sulfatide relocated to the endothelium after UUO interacted with L-selectin on monocytes. In contrast, L-selectin ligand was not detected in Cst-/- mice irrespective of UUO treatment. Compared with wild-type mice, Cst-/- mice showed a considerable reduction in the number of monocytes/macrophages that infiltrated the interstitium after UUO. The number of monocytes/macrophages was also reduced to a similar extent in L-selectin-/- mice. Our results suggest that sulfatide is a major L-selectin-binding molecule in the kidney and that the interaction between L-selectin and sulfatide plays a critical role in monocyte infiltration into the kidney interstitium.
A novel cationic lipid was separated from bovine brain white matter by a series of chromatographies on carboxymethyl-Sephadex and silica gel in chloroform and methanol. Its structure was identified ...unambiguously as de-N-acetyllactotriaosylceramide (deNAcLc3Cer) by mass spectrometry and 1H NMR. The natural occurrence of this glycolipid in white matter extract was detected by immunostaining of thin-layer chromatography with monoclonal antibody 5F5, which is directed to deNAcLc3Cer and recognizes the terminal β-glucosaminyl (GlcNH2) residue, having a free NH2 group. A de-N-acetylase capable of hydrolyzing the N-acetyl group of Lc3Cer was detected in bovine brain extract using N-14Cacetyl-labeled Lc3Cer as a substrate. The biogenesis and possible functional significance of deNAcLc3Cer are discussed.
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