Visualization of transient interfacial waves induced by spin-up of two immiscible fluid layers

Abstract  

Interfacial waves of two immiscible layers in a spin-up container were investigated using experimental visualization. While the interface near the central part rose up, instability waves propagated in an azimuthal direction on the interface. These waves were mainly caused by Kelvin–Helmholtz instability for the velocity difference between two layers during spin-up, but had complicated transient characteristics owing to the rotation in a closed system. We visualized the structure of the interfacial waves by the use of three types of optical characteristics of the interface. Image processing provided the detailed factors of the interfacial waves that were classified in four life stages from their generation to disappearance. The initial generation process involved many frequency modes due to a large velocity difference, and then a low mode stood out during the growth, and disappeared with an ellipsoidal sloshing mode to achieve the rigid rotation in both layers.     

Critical behavior of megabase-size DNA toward the transition into a compact state

We studied the changes in the higher-order structure of a megabase-size DNA (S120-1 DNA) under different spermidine (SPD) concentrations through single-molecule observations using fluorescence microscopy (FM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We examined the difference between the folding transitions in S120-1 DNA and sub-megabase-size DNA, T4 DNA (166 kbp). From FM observations, it is found that S120-1 DNA exhibits intra-chain segregation as the intermediate state of transition, in contrast to the all-or-none nature of the transition on T4 DNA. Large S120-1 DNA exhibits a folding transition at lower concentrations of SPD than T4 DNA. AFM observations showed that DNA segments become aligned in parallel on a two-dimensional surface as the SPD concentration increases and that highly intense parallel alignment is achieved just before the compaction. S120-1 DNA requires one-tenth the SPD concentration as that required by T4 DNA to achieve the same degree of parallel ordering. We theoretically discuss the cause of the parallel ordering near the transition into a fully compact state on a two-dimensional surface, and argue that such parallel ordering disappears in bulk solution.     

Electrical functionalities of poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate) in solid phase

We report electrical functionalities of a rigid rod‐like helical polymer, poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC), in the solid state. Our experimental results of a displacement (D)–field (E) hysteresis and a measurement of pyroelectric signal proved that the PHIC system was electrically active. From the D–E hysteresis loop, coercive field and remanent polarization were determined to be 6.8 MV/m and 3.0 mC/m², respectively, at 80 °C. The pyroelectric coefficient was 9.5 mC/m² K for the sample for which the poling treatment was conducted at 80 °C with the field 20 MV/m. The dipole ordering of the C?O dipoles attached to the main chain was responsible for these electrical activities. Relatively small amounts of the remanent polarization and the pyroelectric coefficient possibly resulted from the short‐range dipole ordering in the noncrystalline phase. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3093–3099, 2005     

Nonisothermal membrane phenomena across perfluorosulfonic acid-type membranes,Flemion S: Part II. Thermal membrane potential and transported entropy of ions

Thermal membrane potentials across the perfluorosulfonic acid-type membrane, Flemion S, were measured for HCl, alkali metal chlorides, and ammonium and methyl ammonium chlorides. The difference between the mean molar transported entropy of the counterions in the membrane and the partial molar entropy of the counterions in the external solution was determined from the experimental data on thermal membrane potential, thermoosmosis and electroosmosis. The sign of the thermal membrane potential in HCl solution varies from positive to negative with the concentration. In HCl and alkali metal chloride solutions, the order of their thermal membrane potentials (–/T) is H⁺>Li⁺=Na⁺>K⁺ which is roughly the inverse of that of the crystallographic radii of the ions. However, the order of their entropy differences is H⁺>Na⁺>K⁺>Li⁺ which is just the inverse of that of their thermoosmotic coefficients (D) or the entropy difference of water in thermoosmosis. For the ammonium and methyl ammonium ion forms, the orders of both –/T and increase with an increasing number of methyl groups: (CH₃)₄N⁺>(CH₃)₃NH⁺>(CH₃)₂NH ₂ ⁺ > CH₃NH ₃ ⁺ >NH ₄ ⁺ , which is also the inverse of that ofD or .     

Synthesis and antitumor activity of new alkylphospholipids containing modifications of the phosphocholine moiety

New antitumor alkylglycerophospholipids, in which primarily the phosphocholine moiety of the platelet activating factor (PAF) molecule was modified, were synthesized from 1-alkyl-2-substituted glycerols by introducing polar head phosphoryl groups having methylene bridges of various lengths (from 2 to 14 carbons). They were tested for PAF agonistic activity and antitumor properties. In a series of 1-octadecyl-2-acetoacetylglycerophospholipids (1a-f), an increase in the length of the methylene bridge separating the phosphate and trimethylammonio group in the polar head side chain at position 3 of the glycerol backbone resulted in a progressive decrease in PAF agonistic activity and a characteristic change in antitumor activity against human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60). Maximal potency was obtained with the compound having a decamethylene bridge (1e, IC50 value = 1.5 microgram/ml). Thus, alkylphospholipids possessing a decamethylene bridge and a variety of substituents at position 2 (1g-n) were synthesized. They showed potent inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.4 to 1.9 micrograms/ml, depending on the nature of the 2-substituent in the phospholipid molecule. In in vivo tests of the present series of alkylglycerophospholipids (1a--n), using mice bearing sarcoma 180 and mice with mammary carcinoma MM46 (both cells and compounds were given i.p.), 1-octadecyl-2-acetoacetyl-3-glyceryl omega-trimethylammoniodecyl phosphate (1e) showed the most potent life-prolonging effect. The structure-activity relationships are discussed.