A lesson from polybutylene succinate plastisphere to the discovery of novel plastic degrading enzyme genes in marine vibrios.

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is an eco-friendly green plastic. However, PBS was shown as being non-biodegradable in marine environments, and up until now, only a limited number of PBS-degrading marine microbes have been discovered. We first set up in vitro PBS- and PBSA (polybutylene succinate adipate)-plastispheres to characterize novel PBS-degrading marine microbes.

Estimating available unused dead wood materials for heat generation in Mongolia: how much coal can unused dead wood materials substitute?

In this study, we estimated the technoeconomic availability of three types of dead trees, namely commercially fallen, normally fallen, and standing, in Mongolian subgroups. For dead trees of three major Mongolian tree species (Siberian larch, Scotch pine, and Asian white birch), lumber, firewood, and unused material as sources of energy were quantified and operational costs (marking, felling, skidding, transporting, loading/unloading, processing, and stumpage prices) were estimated. As a result, most Mongolian subgroups were profitable and suitable for the harvest of unused materials.

Evaluation of Contact Force between Aneurysm Model and Coil for Embolization of Intracranial Aneurysms.

Objective: To ensure safe coil embolization for intracranial aneurysms, it is important to investigate the contact force between the coil and the aneurysm wall. However, it is unclear how the catheter tip position and the diameter of the secondary loop of the coil influence the contact force. In this study, we measured the contact force between a coil and an aneurysm biomodel under different conditions.

Local surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles as a correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) tag for biological samples.

In this study, we investigated use of local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanoparticles (NPs) as a correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) tag for biological samples. Gold NPs in ultra-thin sections for TEM revealed that LSPR could be observed by optical microscopy at sizes of 20 nm or larger. Gold NPs at sizes less than 20 nm could be observed using the gold enhancement method.

Direct Determination of Cross-Link Density and Its Correlation with the Elastic Modulus of a Gel with Slidable Cross-Links.

The universal relationship between the elastic modulus and the cross-link density of a conventional rubber/gel has been demonstrated experimentally to be inapplicable to gels with slidable cross-links. Herein, we describe the synthesis of slide-ring (SR) gel networks devoid of intramolecular cross-links by the cross-coupling of two differently functionalized polyrotaxanes. The cross-link density was determined from the characteristic UV absorption attributed to the asymmetric cross-linked moiety.

Development of novel correlative light and electron microscopy linkage system using silicon nitride film.

In this study, we investigated the optical properties of a silicon nitride (SiN) film. The thin SiN film (30 nm thick) exhibited good light transmittance and little autofluorescence and could be used as a microscope slide for optical microscopy (OM). In addition, we developed a novel correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) that combines OM with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using an SiN thin film.

Fabrication and characterization of sample-supporting film made of silicon nitride for large-area observation in transmission electron microscopy.

In transmission electron microscopy (TEM), silicon nitride (SiN) films are widely used as sample-supporting films owing to their robustness. We fabricated large-scale SiN films deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). This preparation method is advantageous for large window areas, since it yields films with control over properties such as tension and thickness.