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Citation: Arcoumanis, C., Bae, C., Crookes, R. and Kinoshita, E. (2008). The potential of di-methyl ether (DME) as an alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines: A review. Fuel, 87(7), pp. 1014-1030. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2007.06.007 This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent AbstractThis paper reviews the properties and application of di-methyl ether (DME) as a candidate fuel for compression-ignition engines. DME is produced by the conversion of various feedstock such as natural gas, coal, oil residues and bio-mass. To determine the technical feasibility of DME, the review compares its key properties with those of diesel fuel that are relevant to this application. DME's diesel engine-compatible properties are its high cetane number and low auto-ignition temperature. In addition, its simple chemical structure and high oxygen content result in soot-free combustion in engines. Fuel injection of DME can be achieved through both conventional mechanical and current common-rail systems but requires slight modification of the standard system to prevent corrosion and overcome low lubricity. The spray characteristics of DME enable its application to compression-ignition engines despite some differences in its properties such as easier evaporation and lower density. Overall, the low particulate matter production of DME provides adequate justification for its consideration as a candidate fuel in compression-ignition engines. Recent research and development shows comparable output performance to a diesel fuel led engine but with lower particulate emissions. NO x emissions from DME-fuelled engines can meet future regulations with high exhaust gas recirculation in combination with a lean NO x trap. Although more development work has focused on medium or heavy-duty engines, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the technical feasibility of DME as a candidate fuel for environmentally-friendly compression-ignition engines independent of size or application.

We provide a standard phosphate-affinity SDS-PAGE (Mn(2+)-Phos-tag SDS-PAGE) protocol, in which Phos-tag is used to analyze large phosphoproteins with molecular masses of more than 200 kDa. A previous protocol required a long electrophoresis time of 12 h for separation of phosphoisotypes of large proteins ( approximately 150 kDa). This protocol, which uses a 3% (wt/vol) polyacrylamide gel strengthened with 0.5% (wt/vol) agarose, permits the separation of protein phosphoisotypes larger than 200 kDa within 2 h. In subsequent immunoblotting, phosphoisotypes of high-molecular-mass proteins, such as mammalian target of rapamycin (289 kDa), ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase (350 kDa) and p53-binding protein 1 (213 kDa), can be clearly detected as up-shifted migration bands on the improved Mn(2+)-Phos-tag SDS-PAGE gel. The procedure from the beginning of gel preparation to the end of electrophoresis requires about 4 h in this protocol.

In response to DNA damage or replication fork stress, the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is activated, leading to monoubiquitination of FancD2 and FancI and their co-localization in foci. Here we show that, in the chicken DT40 cell system, multiple alanine-substitution mutations in 6 conserved and clustered S/TQ motifs of FancI largely abrogate monoubiquitination as well as focus formation of both FancI and FancD2, resulting in loss of DNA repair function. Conversely, FancI carrying phospho-mimic mutations on the same 6 residues induces constitutive monoubiquitination and focus formation of FancI and FancD2, and protects against cell killing and chromosome breakage by DNA interstrand crosslinking agents. We propose that the multiple phosphorylation of FancI serves as a molecular switch in activation of the FA pathway. Mutational analysis of putative phosphorylation sites in human FANCI indicates that this switch is evolutionarily conserved.

Recognition of phosphate monoester dianion by an alkoxide-bridged dinuclear zinc(II) complex (Zn2L3+) has been studied (L = alkoxide species of 1,3-bis[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]propan-2-ol). Potentiometric pH titration study disclosed a 1 : 1 phenyl phosphate complexation with Zn2L3+ in aqueous solution. The dissociation constant (= [Zn2L3+][PhOPO3(2-)]/[Zn2L3+-PhOPO3(2-)]) is an extremely small value of 2.5 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3) at 25 degrees C with I = 0.10 (NaNO3). The X-ray crystal analysis of the dizinc(II) complex with p-nitrophenyl phosphate showed that the phosphate dianion binds as a bridging ligand to the two zinc(II) ions.