Studies on applications of lypolytic enzymes in detergency II. Evaluation of adaptability of various kinds of lipases in practical laundry conditions

Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society - Kinetic parameter of hydrolysis, degree of hydrolysis, pH and temperature characteristics and positional specificity of hydrolysis of seven kinds...     

Effects of hydrophilicity of crosslinker on membrane properties of poly(N-hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine) hydrogels

Summary Poly(N-hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine) (PHEG) hydrogels were prepared by aminolysis of poly( -benzyl L-glutamate) with 2-aminoethanol and hydrophobic or hydrophilic crosslinkers, and the effect of the hydrophobicity of the crosslinkers was evaluated. The swelling properties, tensile properties and enzymatic degradation behavior were studied in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The swelling ratio and degradation rate of these hydrogels were highly dependent on the hydrophobicity of the crosslinkers, while tensile properties were dependent on the swelling ratio, but not on the hydrophobicity of the crosskinkers.     

Synthesis and catalytic properties of sulfonic acid-functionalized monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres

A new type of sulfonic acid-functionalized monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres (MMSS) were synthesized directly by co-condensation and subsequent oxidation. By changing the methanol ratio, sulfonic acid-functionalized MMSS with different particle diameters (390–830 nm) and the same mesopore sizes were successfully synthesized. TEM observations revealed that the mesopores were aligned radially from the center towards the outside of the spheres, even in the sulfonic acid-functionalized MMSS. The catalytic activities of the sulfonic acid-functionalized MMSS were studied in condensation reactions between 2-methylfuran and acetone, and it was found that their catalytic activities are highly dependent on the particle diameters. In addition, the catalytic activity of MMSS was much higher than that of other forms of mesoporous silica due to its radially-aligned mesopores.     

Materials evaluation of diffusion bonded steel bar and its impact characteristics

When we apply non-destructive test for evaluating the soundness of weld joints it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of the joints by destructive test. In this paper we tried to obtain the correlation between the data by ultrasonic C-scope method and the absorbed energy by Charpy impact test for diffusion bonded steel bars. The surface roughness of specimens (materials: S25C, mild steel) used for the diffusion bonding was changed into several steps by machining and the diffusion bonding was performed on five kinds of combinations of the surface roughness. Through this process we obtained the diffusion bonds whose ratio of non-bonded area was different. In the ultrasonic test we used the frequency of 10 MHz and a transducer of 12.7 mm in diameter. The ratio of non-bonded area is obtained by using C-scope method by immersion testing, and this depended on the threshold echo level when we binarized the images of C-scope presentation and the surface roughness of the specimen. The lower the threshold echo level, the larger the ratio of non-bonded area. The absorbed energy depended on the ratio of non-bonded area. It is made clear that the proper threshold echo level should be selected for evaluating the soundness of diffusion bonds by ultrasonic test. Moreover, when the transition liquid phase diffusion bonding was performed on SD345 (deformed reinforcing steel bar) using Ni amorphous foil as an insert metal the absorbed energy also decreased with the increase in the ratio of flaw area obtained by ultrasonic test, though no change in the tensile strength was observed.     

Dietary Marine-Derived Tocopherol has a Higher Biological Availability in Mice Relative to Alpha-Tocopherol

The biologic availability of two kinds of tocomonoenols, marine-derived tocopherol (MDT) and α-tocomonoenol, was investigated in ICR mice. Vitamin E-deficient ICR mice were fed MDT and α-tocomonoenol together with α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol, and storage in liver, spleen, lung, and brain was quantified using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The vitamin E relative biologic availability (VE-RBA) in liver was 100 for α-tocopherol, 26 ± 3 for β-tocopherol, 4 ± 2 for γ-tocopherol, not detected for δ-tocopherol, 49 ± 6 for MDT, and 30 ± 7 for α-tocomonoenol. The VE-RBA in brain was 100 for α-tocopherol, 5 ± 2 for β-tocopherol, not detected for γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol, 8 ± 1 for MDT, and 4 ± 1 for α-tocomonoenol. Tocopherols and tocomonoenols did not accumulate in the spleen or lung. MDT and α-tocomonoenol had high VE-RBA values. The VE-RBA value for MDT was much higher than that for β-tocopherol.     

Modeling of the yoke-magnetization in MFL-testing by finite elements

The yoke-magnetization is very popular in magnetic particle testing of welds. The detectability of a flaw by using this method largely depends on the magnetic flux density passing through a specimen to be examined or on the intensity of magnetic field acting in/on the specimen. In Japan inspectors have to check and confirm the appropriate magnetizing situation of the specimen by using an A-type standard test specimen specified in the standard JIS G 0565-1992. The development of indications by magnetic particles on the standard specimen is influenced by the air gap between the standard specimen and the specimen surface to be examined. Since the height and breadth of an artificial flaw in the standard specimen also influence the leakage of the magnetic flux density from the flaw, the information about the magnetizing situation is complex.In this paper we first identify influences of some factors on the magnetic leakage flux density from an artificial flaw in the standard specimen by using FEM modeling. Since the check with the standard specimen gives not a unique information to the magnetization state we investigate the technique, in which intensity of magnetic field acting on the specimen surface is used to characterize the magnetization. A finite element approach is applied to model the magnetization situation. The effectiveness of the modeling is confirmed by an experiment.     

Relationship between Tissue Structural Collapse and Disappearance of Flesh Transparency during Postmortem Changes in Squid Mantles

ABSTRACT:  This study evaluated the relationship between squid flesh transparency and muscle tissue microstructure. Squid mantle muscle was stored at 4 °C after being transported for 2 h by 4 different transportation methods used commonly in Japan (Group 1: live squid packed in ice-cold seawater; Group 2: live squid packed at 4 °C; Group 3: squid killed immediately after harvest and packed at 4 °C; Group 4: live squid packed in a fish tank containing seawater). Parameters of muscle tissue transparency were measured by an image analysis of digital images of squid muscle tissue. The mantle muscle tissue was observed under a transmission electron microscope to determine the postmortem structural changes at the cellular level. The ATP content of muscle tissue and rupture energy of squid flesh were also measured. As a result, the transparency of squid flesh and the ATP content of the muscles showed the same pattern of change in degree as time passed. The values of these parameters were highest in the group of squid killed immediately followed in order by those transported live, the refrigerated squid, and squid stored in ice-cold seawater. The mantle muscle tissue started to lose its transparency when the ATP in the muscle tissue started to decline. Disintegration of squid muscle tissue structure at the cellular level during storage under refrigeration for 24 h (4 °C) was observed in all methods of transportation. This suggested that destruction of the squid muscle tissue structure by autolysis is remarkably fast. The muscle tissue structure disintegrates due to decomposition of the muscle proteins, and muscle transparency is lost because the entire muscle develops a mixed coarse-minute structure.     

Thermosensitive property of poly(Hyp(Bzl)-co-Pro)

Summary Several types of poly(Hyp(Bzl)-co-Pro)s were synthesized. Their molecular conformations and thermosensitive properties were investigated in an attempt to find new thermosensitive materials. These polypeptides assumed the polyproline-II structure in the temperature range of 20 to 80°C. They also exhibited cloud points in light transmittance, indicating the phase transition. The transition temperatures decreased with increasing hydrophobicity of the polypeptide.