Thermophysical Properties Measurement of High-Temperature Liquids Under Microgravity Conditions in Controlled Atmospheric Conditions

Microgravity conditions have advantages of measurement of surface tension and viscosity of metallic liquids by the oscillating drop method with an electromagnetic levitation (EML) device. Thus, we are preparing the experiments of thermophysical properties measurements using the Materials-Science Laboratories ElectroMagnetic-Levitator (MSL-EML) facilities in the international Space station (ISS). Recently, it has been identified that dependence of surface tension on oxygen partial pressure (Po2) must be considered for industrial application of surface tension values. Effect of Po2 on surface tension would apparently change viscosity from the damping oscillation model. Therefore, surface tension and viscosity must be measured simultaneously in the same atmospheric conditions. Moreover, effect of the electromagnetic force (EMF) on the surface oscillations must be clarified to obtain the ideal surface oscillation because the EMF works as the external force on the oscillating liquid droplets, so extensive EMF makes apparently the viscosity values large. In our group, using the parabolic flight levitation experimental facilities (PFLEX) the effect of Po2 and external EMF on surface oscillation of levitated liquid droplets was systematically investigated for the precise measurements of surface tension and viscosity of high temperature liquids for future ISS experiments. We performed the observation of surface oscillations of levitated liquid alloys using PFLEX on board flight experiments by Gulfstream II (G-II) airplane operated by DAS. These observations were performed under the controlled Po2 and also under the suitable EMF conditions. In these experiments, we obtained the density, the viscosity and the surface tension values of liquid Cu. From these results, we discuss about as same as reported data, and also obtained the difference of surface oscillations with the change of the EMF conditions

Novel Betaherpesvirus in Bats

Because bats are associated with emerging zoonoses, identification and characterization of novel viruses from bats is needed. Using a modified rapid determination system for viral RNA/DNA sequences, we identified a novel bat betaherpesvirus 2 not detected by herpesvirus consensus PCR. This modified system is useful for detecting unknown viruses

Synthesis of (difluoromethyl)naphthalenes using the ring construction strategy: C–C bond formation on the central carbon of 1,1-difluoroallenes via Pd-catalyzed insertion

The insertion of 1,1-difluoroallenes was carried out to form a C–C bond exclusively on their central carbon. o-Bromophenyl-bearing 1,1-difluoroallenes underwent intramolecular insertion in the presence of a palladium catalyst. Regioselective C–C bond formation occurred to form a six-membered carbocycle, leading to pharmaceutically and agrochemically promising difluoromethylated naphthalenes

Generation of a transgenic mouse line for conditional expression of human IL-6

IL-6 is a cytokine that is involved in various physiological and pathological conditions, and approaches using gain-of-function transgenic animals have contributed in elucidating IL-6 function. However, studies of the multiple functions of IL-6 in vivo are very time consuming because they require the generation of transgenic mice that harbor the gene encoding IL-6 under the control of specific promoters to mimic different pathologies. Here, we report the establishment of a conditional human IL-6 transgenic mouse, LGL-IL6, which conditionally expresses human IL-6 by taking advantage of the well-characterized Cre recombinase drivers

Bat Coronaviruses and Experimental Infection of Bats, the Philippines

Virus-infected fruit bats showed no signs of clinical infection