The authors have developed a solenoid model coil used for superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) for power system control, aimed at drastically reducing the costs of the SMES system. The single solenoid model coil of 2.9 MJ is designed with the rated current of 9.6 kA, a maximum magnetic field of 5.5 T and coil charge rates equivalent to those of the practical 100 MW/54 MJ class SMES. The coil is characterized by the use of an aluminum stabilized NbTi CIC (Cable-in-conduit) conductor. The experimental SMES consists mainly of a 2.9 MJ coil, the cooling system for the CIC conductor and the 1 MW class AC/DC converter. The SMES is connected to 6 kV distribution lines at a substation. In the field test, the SMES's 17 ms responses for the step input of active and reactive power were ascertained. Furthermore, its function of compensating for load fluctuation in the 6 kV distribution line was confirmed. The test results show the realization of a practical SMES system for power line control

Stability tests employing inductive heaters are useful to evaluate stability margins of cable in conduit conductors (CICC's). The inductive heater, which consists of the resistive induction-coil and the AC or pulse power supply, can introduce eddy currents in the CICC. The frequency is more than one hundred Hz and it can introduce the heat pulse with the duration of several ms. The stability test using the inductive heaters had been reported. However, the ratio of the deposited energies to the components; superconducting strands, conduit and induction-coil, have not been discussed exactly. By the inductive heater, the coupling and eddy current losses are introduced in the strand. In addition, inter-strand coupling loss, eddy current loss in the conduit and joule and/or eddy current losses in the induction-coil itself are introduced. We evaluated these kinds of losses by both experimental and numerical methods. Finally, we evaluated the quench energy margin of the cable in conduit conductor quantitatively.

This paper describes the numerical results of electrical, thermal and mechanical properties in a model current limiting device with QMG bulk superconductor reinforced by various kinds of metal bypass. The electric circuit analysis for simulation of current sharing is coupled at each time step with the finite difference method to calculate the temperature distribution inside the device. The obtained results are compared with experimental data carried out previously, and they have a good agreement with each other. The profile of internal stress in the limiting devices is also estimated by means of a commercial code of finite element analysis, and it is concluded that the magnitude of mechanical stress applied to the superconductor is less than an allowable level for each model device.

Since 1999, a Japanese national project to realize commercially feasible SMES for designated applications has been promoted. Model coils for power system stabilization, load fluctuation compensation and frequency control have been fabricated and tested. In this paper, we introduce the present status of the project, including feasibility studies of an HTS SMES.

The authors are engaged in technological endeavors to create a coil at a drastically reduced cost with the aim of making it practical for SMES for power system stabilization. With focus on its novel conductor material and uniquely shaped coil, which were exclusively developed with the target of reducing the cost of the coil, an experimental model coil was devised. It is characterized by a single solenoid coil made of aluminum stabilized NbTi CIC. Experiments such as a rated 9.6 kA current-carrying test and current interrupting test were conducted to examine the performance of the model coil. The test results proved that the SMES model coil would perform as initially designed.

A high durability design for QMG current limiting elements was developed by reinforcement using metal bypasses. Metal bypasses with high specific resistivity were bonded to both surfaces of QMG bulk superconductor using solder. I-shaped short QMG current limiting elements with cross-sections of 2.2 x 0.8 mm and an effective length of 20 turn were reinforced by I-shaped NiCr or SUS bypasses. Meander-shaped QMG with cross-sections of 2.2 x 0.8 mm and an effective length of 180 mm was reinforced by meander-shaped NiCr bypasses. These elements were molded by resin and GFRP. The external bypass was jointed to the element in parallel electrically. The current limiting elements have a current capacity of 1 kA class in 77 K. In order to measure transport properties in fault conditions, a half cycle of sinusoidal current up to about 4 kA was applied to the elements.I-shaped short samples with 0.5 mm thick NiCr showed an endurance voltage of 13 V(electric field strength of 6.5 V/cm) without damage, when the peak value of applied current was 4.2 kA. For the meander-shaped samples, endurance voltage of 92 V was observed through one element, when the peak value of applied current was 4.0 kA. This voltage is about four times higher than that tolerated by conventional meander-shaped elements that have no NiCr bypass reinforcement. In the case of metal bypassing both sides of a superconductor in fault conditions, fault current flows through the metal bypasses. Then, both the superconductor and metal bypass expand by Joule heating. Therefore, the mechanical stress on a superconductor is reduced relative to the presence of metal bypasses. It is considered that metal bypasses lead to high durability against thermal shock. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A compact laser based current transformer (CT) is developed for electric power system protection. Bi-YIG crystal is selected as a useful material based on measurements. A prototype model Bi-YIG laser CT was compared with a resistance shunt CT using a simulation device of transmission lines and similar behavior was observed, clearly demonstrating its usefulness.

We previously identified a novel gene, reg (i.e. regenerating gene), in the screening of a rat regenerating islet-derived cDNA library, and isolated its human cDNA homologue which encodes a 166-amino acid protein (Terazono, K., Yamamoto, H., Takasawa, S., Shiga, K., Yonemura, Y., Tochino, Y., and Okamoto, H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2111-2114). In the present study, we have isolated the human reg gene, determined its complete nucleotide sequence, and examined its expression in human tissues. The functional human reg gene is a single copy gene, spans approximately 3.0 kilobase pairs, and is composed of six exons and five introns. TATA box and CCAAT box-like sequences are located at 27 and 100 base pairs upstream from the transcriptional initiation site. The human reg mRNA was detected predominantly in the pancreas, and at lower levels in the gastric mucosa and the kidney. Furthermore, the reg gene was found to be expressed ectopically in colon and rectal tumors. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated several molecular forms (15-18 kDa) of the reg protein in the pancreas. The 166-amino acid sequence encoded by the human reg gene contains the 144-amino acid sequence of pancreatic stone protein determined by De Caro et al. (De Caro, A. M., Adrich, Z., Fournet, B., Capon, C., Bonicel, J. J., De Caro, J. D., and Rovery, M. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 994, 281-284) and the partially determined 45-amino acid sequence of pancreatic thread protein (Gross, J., Carlson, R. I., Brauer, A. W., Margolies, M. N., Warshaw, A. L., and Wands, J. R. (1985) J. Clin. Invest. 76, 2115-2126), indicating that the reg protein, pancreatic stone protein, and pancreatic thread protein are simply different names for a single protein deriving from the reg gene.

cDNA clones coding for glucagon were isolated from a chicken pancreas cDNA library, and the nucleotide and amino acid sequences were determined. The amino acid sequence of chicken glucagon was HSQGTFTSDYSKYLDSRRAQDFVQWLMST, which was contained in the 151-amino acid long precursor, being preceded by a signal sequence and an amino-terminal peptide (NH2-peptide) and followed by an intervening peptide and a glucagon-like peptide I (GLP-I). Chicken preproglucagon, however, lacked GLP-II and intervening peptide II which have been shown to be contained in mammalian glucagon precursors.

Regenerating islets can be induced by the administration of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase inhibitors to 90% depancreatized rats. In screening a regenerating islet-derived cDNA library, we previously isolated a novel gene. reg (regenerating gene), which encodes a 165-amino acid protein with a 21-amino acid signal sequence. In the present study, we have examined the expression and localization of reg protein in the regenerating islets by immunocytochemical techniques using a monoclonal antibody against a recombinant rat reg protein of 144 amino acids without the signal sequence. Light microscopy examination showed strong immunoreactivity for reg protein in the regenerating islets of the rats at two weeks and two months after 90% pancreatectomy, whereas reg protein was almost undetectable in normal rat islets or in the islets of the rats one year after the pancreatectomy. Almost all the reg protein-positive cells were stained for insulin. By applying the immunogold technique at the ultrastructural level, it was demonstrated that both reg protein and insulin occur in the central granular core of the regenerating Beta cell secretory granules. These results suggest that reg protein is synthesized in and secreted from the regenerating Beta cells and that its expression is closely associated with Beta-cell regeneration.

reg was originally identified as a gene expressed during the regeneration of insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells of the rat. We built an expression vector containing human reg cDNA to drive Saccharomyces cerevisiae to synthesize the reg protein, and purified it from the culture medium. The 144-amino acid sequence of the recombinant protein was consistent with that deduced from the cDNA and genomic DNA sequence except that the signal sequence of 22 amino acids was eliminated, and the amino-terminal residue of the protein was pyroglutamic acid. The secondary structure of the reg protein was predicted by determination of the intramolecular cystine linkage and of alpha-helix and beta-sheet contents.

Administration of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase inhibitors such as nicotinamide to 90% depancreatized rats induces regeneration of pancreatic islets, thereby ameliorating the surgical diabetes (Yonemura, Y., Takashima, T., Miwa, K., Miyazaki, I., Yamamoto, H., and Okamoto, H. (1984) Diabetes 33, 401-404). In screening the regenerating islet-derived cDNA library, we came across a novel gene encoding a 165-amino acid protein. The gene was expressed in regenerating islets but not in normal pancreatic islets, insulinomas, or regenerating liver. In 90% depancreatized and nicotinamide-injected rats, the expression of the gene was increased 1 month after the partial pancreatectomy and reached a peak 3 months after the operation. The increase in expression of the gene was temporally correlated with the increase in size of regenerating islets and the decrease in urinary glucose level. The gene was also found to be activated in hyperplastic islets of aurothioglucose-treated mice. Thus, the expression of the gene in both regenerating and hyperplastic islets suggests possible roles for this gene in replication, growth, and maturation of islet beta-cells. We also found that a human pancreas-derived cDNA library contained a homologue to the gene.

We have isolated a novel gene, rig (rat insulinoma gene) from rat insulinomas. In the present study, rig was found to be expressed in rat regenerating liver and in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The level of rig mRNA was increased at the proliferative phase of liver regeneration. In synchronously cultured hepatocytes, the rig mRNA level was elevated at the G1 phase of the cell cycle and the rig-protein was accumulated in the nuclei during the S phase. These results indicated that rig could be involved in a more general way in growth or cell replication.

麹菌として焼酎麹菌と清酒麹菌,酵母として焼酎酵母と清酒酵母を用い,発酵させた醪を濾過せず常圧蒸留した区分(A),減圧蒸留した区分B),醪濾過後減圧蒸留した区分(C)について,低・中・高沸点成分をガスクロマトグラフィーにより分析するとともに,官能検査を行い,比較検討した.(1) 酢酸エチル,酢酸イソアミル含量は,Aに対してBは約80%,Cは約50%であった.(2) アセトアルデヒド含量は,3つの区分とも同じであった.(3) 高級アルコールの比(A/B, B/P, A/P)は,麹菌及び酵母の影響を受けた.(4) 高級脂肪酸エチルエステル含量は,A, B, Cの順に減少した.(5) 香気成分のダイヤグラムは,麹菌間よりも酵母間に明確な差が認められた.(6) 官能検査の結果,Aは香味とも濃く従来タイプで,Bは香味とも良く最も評価が高く,Cはきれい過ぎて香味ともうすいという評価であった.