‘Lipase and protease production of dairy Penicillium sp. on milk‐protein‐based solid substrates’

The lipolytic and proteolytic activity of Penicillium camemberti PC TT033 and Penicillium roqueforti PR G3, cultured on the whey solids or simulated cheese media, were compared under several pH reaction conditions. Lipolytic activity was higher when both strains had been cultured on the whey medium than on the simulated cheese medium, whereas proteolytic activity was less influenced by the culture medium. The relationship between the reaction pH and these enzyme activities was dependent on the culture medium, which suggested that the expression level and balance of isozyme rely on the culture substrate.     

Development of Selective TGR5 Ligands Based on the 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethylnaphthalene Skeleton

TGR5, a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays an important role in several physiological functions. TGR5 activation through bile acids induces an increase in energy expenditure. Therefore, synthetic TGR5 ligands could be useful for the treatment of obesity or dyslipidemia. In this study, we designed and synthesized a set of TGR5 ligands with a 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethylnaphthalene (TMN) skeleton, and evaluated their TGR5 agonistic activity. We also investigated the selectivity of the synthesized compounds for TGR5 relative to the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR). Our results show that compound 4 b [N-(2-chlorophenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenecarboxamide] exhibited potent TGR5 agonist activity with an IC₅₀ value of 8.4 nM without significant cytotoxicity. In addition, compound 4 b showed only slight agonistic activity toward FXR and RAR at 1 μM treatment. These data indicate that compound 4 b is a selective TGR5 agonist, and could be a promising therapeutic agent for dyslipidemia.     

Effective Characterization of DNA Ligation Kinetics by High-Resolution Melting Analysis

High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis has been improved and applied for the first time to quantitative analysis of enzymatic reactions. By using the relative ratios of peak intensities of substrates and products, the quantitativity of conventional HRM analysis has been improved to allow detailed kinetic analysis. As an example, the ligation of sticky ends through the action of T4 DNA ligase has been kinetically analyzed, with comprehensive data on substrate specificity and other properties having been obtained. For the first time, the kinetic parameters (k_obs and apparent K_m) of sticky-end ligation were obtained for both fully matched and mismatched sticky ends. The effect of ATP concentration on sticky-end ligation was also investigated. The improved HRM method should also be applicable to versatile DNA-transforming enzymes, because the only requirement is that the products have T_m values different enough from the substrates.     

The evaluation of the extended transmission power consumption (ETPC) model to perform communication type processes

In energy-aware information systems, it is critical to discuss how to select a server for each request from clients in order to not only achieve performance objectives but also reduce the total power consumption of a system. In order to design and evaluate the server selection algorithm, it is critical to define the power consumption model of a server to perform processes. In our previous studies, the transmission power consumption (TPC) model of a server is proposed to perform transmission processes. In the TPC model, the electric power consumption of cooling devices is assumed to be constant. Cooling devices like fans consume the electric power in a server. Thus, the total power consumption of a server depends on not only computation and communication devices but also cooling devices. In this paper, we propose the extended TPC (ETPC) model to take into account the power consumption of cooling devices. We validate the TPC and ETPC models by measuring the power consumption and transmission time of a server.     

Fabrication of fluorine-terminated diamond-like carbon thin film using a hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam

Surface modification of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was performed using a hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam on the purpose of production of hydrophobic surface by maintaining the high hardness of DLC film. By the irradiation of atomic fluorine beam of a 1.0 × 10²⁰ atoms/cm², the contact angle of a water drop against the DLC surface increased from 73° to 111°. The formation of CF₃, CF₂ and CF bonding on the modified DLC surface was confirmed from the measurements of X-ray photoelectron spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra. Irradiation of hyperthermal atomic fluorine beam was concluded to produce insulator fluorine-terminated DLC film, which has high F content on the surface, by the taking of the use of neutral atomic beam as a fluorine source.     

Incorporation of Alpha‐Linolenic Acid and Enhancement of n‐3 Fatty Acids in Nile Tilapia: a Factorial Design

A 2² factorial design (two factors at two levels, in triplicate) was performed to investigate the influence of factors A (time of treatment, 15 and 30 days) and B (chia oil content in a supplemented diet, at 2.1 and 4.2 %) in three responses of interest referring to: (a) the incorporation of alpha‐linolenic acid (LNA) in lipids of Nile tilapia fillet; (b) the enhancement of n‐3 fatty acids; and (c) the decrease in the omega‐6/omega3 (n‐6/n‐3) ratio in fish. Factors A and B were significant in the three regression models obtained and the interaction AB was a significant contributor to the LNA and n‐6/n‐3 ratio. Analysis of variance suggested three significant and predictive mathematical models. Response surfaces analyses from designs indicated higher LNA and n‐3 contents and a lower n‐6/n‐3 ratio using both factors A and B in the higher levels (30 days of treatment and 4.2 % of chia oil in the diet for fish) chosen for this study.     

Synthesis and gas sensing properties of SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles with different morphologies

The SnO₂ particles with different morphologies of nanorod, nanosheet, nanoparticle and nanodot were synthesized by liquid-phase methods. In addition, Pt was loaded on each prepared SnO₂ by dispersing SnO₂ particles into PtCl₄ ^2? aqueous solutions containing 0.67 vol% methanol, followed by UV light irradiation for 6 h. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurement. The gas sensing properties of the synthesized SnO₂ were tested by detecting the change in electric resistivity in flowing aceton and methanol gases with nitrogen base. The gas sensing properties greatly changed depending on not only the specific surface area, but also the exposed crystal plane, i.e., the SnO₂ nanorods exposing (111) planes showed the excellent sensitivity and quick response ability, indicating the excellent gas sensing ability of the (111) plane. Furthermore, the Pt loading exceedingly enhanced the gas sensing properties.     

Mechanical role of reinforcement in seismic behavior of steel-strip reinforced earth wall

In the current design practices of steel-strip reinforced earth walls (SSREWs), the length of the reinforcing material is determined based on the equilibrium between the reinforcement tension and the earth pressure acting on the wall. Here, the resistance of the reinforcing material laid in the active failure zone (AFZ) is not considered. Moreover, the mechanical role of the reinforcing material against the integrity of the SSREW has not been sufficiently verified. Regarding the seismic stability of SSREW, although it is investigated by treating the entire reinforced earth wall as a rigid body, this inspection method is for gravity-retaining walls, and the difference in the seismic behavior between the SSREW and the rigid body is not clear. In this study, therefore, dynamic centrifuge model tests on 6 types of SSREWs were conducted to clarify the following items: (1) the basic earthquake behavior of a SSREW, (2) the mechanical role of the reinforcing material laid in the AFZ and (3) the mechanical role of the reinforcing material against the integrity of the SSREW. The results indicated that the reinforcing material laid in the AFZ can restrain the amount of deformation of the wall during earthquakes. Furthermore, the more stable the AFZ is, the smaller the maximum wall displacement will be.     

Improvement in impact strength of modified cardanol‐bonded cellulose thermoplastic resin by using olefin resins

Impact strength of a modified cardanol‐bonded cellulose thermoplastic resin was greatly improved by using a small amount of olefin resins. As we showed, this thermoplastic resin (3‐pentadecylphenoxy acetic acid (PAA)‐bonded cellulose diacetate (CDA): PAA‐bonded CDA) exhibited high practical properties such as bending strength, heat resistance, and water resistance. However, its impact strength was insufficient for use in durable products. We improved the impact strength of PAA‐bonded CDA by adding hydrophobic olefin resins, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, while maintaining good bending strength and breaking strain. Furthermore, the application of olefin resins also increased water resistance and fluidity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39829.