Indoor environmental study and post occupancy evaluation in an office environment

1. 1. The objective of this paper is to investigate the indoor environment from the viewpoint of interaction between physical environment and the human responses. The field survey has been conducted over 1 year.

2. 2. A continuous measurement has been carried out for 1 week and distribution of variables have been measured for 1 day.

3. 3. The attitude of workers was investigated by a questionnaire.

4. 4. As the result, average luminance represented more than 1000 lx in the new building, in contrast with less tha 300 lx in the existing building.

5. 5. There was a significant difference of the occupants' response to the light environment between the two buildings.

6. 6. Measured thermal conditions are on the edge of the ASHRAE comfort envelope in summer, and in the neighborhood of the lower dry limit of the envelope in spring.

7. 7. The occupants' evaluations were remarkably changed before and after the moving. The office environment is better than that of the factory.

EL-4 tumor cell-induced human and rabbit platelet aggregations

EL-4 tumor cells were assayed in vitro for their ability to aggregate two kinds of platelets. An inhibition study showed that the EL-4 tumor cell can induce platelet aggregation by at least two different mechanisms. One, mediated by thrombin, was dominant with rabbit platelets because hirudin, which specifically inhibits thrombin, considerably suppressed the rabbit platelet aggregation induced by EL-4 tumor cells. In contrast, EL-4 cells induced the aggregation of human platelets even in citrated PRP. It is the apyrase-sensitive pathway that is believed to work in human platelets. The human platelet responses to EL-4 tumor cells clearly differed from those of rabbit platelets in terms of inhibition by hirudin and apyrase and of reactivity in citrated PRP. Both phospholipase A2 and dibutyryl cAMP strongly inhibited EL-4 tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation in both rabbit and human platelets. These two compounds may block a vital step in platelet aggregation that is elicited by the EL-4 tumor cells. Our results show that human platelet response to tumor cells is not necessarily deducible from experimental data obtained with animal platelets.     

Improved immobilization of DNA to microwell plates for DNA-DNA hybridization.

An improved and simplified protocol for DNA immobilization was developed to enhance DNA-DNA hybridization on microwell plates. Target DNA was immobilized by simple dry-adsorption. Efficiencies of DNA immobilization and retention were enhanced 1.4-6.5 times and 4.2-19.6 times, respectively, compared with a conventional method. The overall hybridization efficiency was increased 3.1-5.2 times. This simple new protocol can reduce the consumption of scarce DNA samples.     

Localization of α-Galactosidase in an Alkalophilic Strain of Micrococcus†

Localization of α-galactosidase in an alkalophilic strain of Micrococcus was investigated in relation to the cell membrane as a permeability barrier. The most α-galactosidase appered to be intracellular; only about 4% of α-galactosidase was released by lysozyme or freeze-thaw treatments of the whole cells. The enzyme activity was not inhibited by treatment of the whole cells with diazo-7-amino-1,3-naphthalene disulfonic acid (NDS) which penetrated the cell wall but not the cytoplasmic membrane. The enzyme activity of the whole cells increased about four-fold by toluene-acetone treatment which caused an alteration in the membrane permeability. The enzyme in such cells became to be relatively sensitive to pH. These results showed that cell membrane played a protective role as a permeability barrier against alkaline environment.     

Production of Schardinger beta-dextrin by soluble and immobilized cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase of an alkalophilic Bacillus sp.

Succinylated cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC 3.2.1.19) of an alkalophilic Bacillus sp. was adsorbed on a vinylpyridine copolymer. The enzyme had about 25% of the activity of soluble enzyme added. No increase of pH or thermal stability of the enzyme was observed by the adsorption, whereas optimum temperature for the enzyme action was shifted from 50 to 55 degrees C. The enzyme converted starch to cyclodextrine without significant loss of activity under the conditions of 4 times reusing of 6 hr conversion by the batch system or 2 weeks continuous reaction by the column system at 55 degrees C and pH 8.0. About 46% of the potato starch solution [15% (w/v)] was converted to cyclodextrins by the enzyme, and 52% was converted by the simultaneous action of the enzyme and alkaline pullulanase of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. (No. 202-1). These values were almost the same as those obtained by the soluble enzyme or enzymes system.     

Microbial Community in Black Rust Exposed to Hot Ridge Flank Crustal Fluids

During Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 301, we obtained a sample of black rust from a circulation obviation retrofit kit (CORK) observatory at a borehole on the eastern flank of Juan de Fuca Ridge. Due to overpressure, the CORK had failed to seal the borehole. Hot fluids from oceanic crust had discharged to the overlying bottom seawater and resulted in the formation of black rust analogous to a hydrothermal chimney deposit. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses indicated that the black-rust-associated community differed from communities reported from other microbial habitats, including hydrothermal vents at seafloor spreading centers, while it shared phylotypes with communities previously detected in crustal fluids from the same borehole. The most frequently retrieved sequences of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes were related to the genera Ammonifex and Methanothermococcus, respectively. Most phylotypes, including phylotypes previously detected in crustal fluids, were isolated in pure culture, and their metabolic traits were determined. Quantification of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes, together with stable sulfur isotopic and electron microscopic analyses, strongly suggested the prevalence of sulfate reduction, potentially by the Ammonifex group of bacteria. Stable carbon isotopic analyses suggested that the bulk of the microbial community was trophically reliant upon photosynthesis-derived organic matter. This report provides important insights into the phylogenetic, physiological, and trophic characteristics of subseafloor microbial ecosystems in warm ridge flank crusts.     

Ribosomes in Dormant and Germinating Conidia of Aspergillus oryzae

Ribosomes were isolated from dormant and germinating conidia of Asp. oryzae No. 13. The ribosomes which consisted of 80 S were easily dissociated into 40 S and 60 S in low Mg^{+ +} buffer. Polyribosomes were not found in dormant conidia, but were found in germinating conidia. Ribosomes in Aspergillus fungi consisted of almost equal amount of RNA and protein, and the base compositions of RNA were alike, as compared as ribosomal RNA between dormant and germinating conidia.     

Xylanase Produced by Alkalophilic Bacillus No. C-59-2

Bacillus No. C–59–2 isolated from soil produced a xylanase in alkaline media. The characteristic point of this bacteria was especially good growth in alkaline media, and no growth was observed in neutral media such as nutrient broth. The xylanase of this bacteria was purified by CM-celluIose, hydroxyl apatite and Sephadex G–75 columns. The enzyme was most active at pH 5.5~9 which was much broader and higher than those of other xylanases. The sedimentation constant was about 3.5 S and isoelectric point was pH 6.3. The enzyme was most stable at pH 7 and calcium ion was effective to stabilize the enzyme. The enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg²⁺, Ag²⁺ and Cd^{2 +} Maximum hydrolysis rate of xylan by the enzyme was about 40%. The enzyme split xylan and yielded xylobiose and higher oligosaccharides. Therefore, this enzyme is considered to be a type of endo-xylanase.