Biotransformation of three aromadendrane‐type sesquiterpenoids by Aspergillus wentii

BACKGROUND: The biotransformation of sesquiterpenoids, which are a large class of naturally occurring compounds, using microorganisms as a biocatalyst to produce useful novel organic compounds was investigated. The biotransformation of sesquiterpenoids, (+)‐aromadendrene ( 1 ), (−)‐alloaromadendrene ( 2 ) and (+)‐ledene ( 3 ) has been investigated using Aspergillus wentii as a biocatalyst. Results: Compound 1 was converted to (−)‐(10S,11S)‐10,13,14‐trihydroxyaromadendrane ( 4 ). Compound 2 was converted to (+)‐(1S,11S)‐1,13‐dihydroxyaromadendrene ( 5 ) and (−)‐5,11‐epoxycadin‐1(10)‐en‐14‐ol ( 6 ). Compound 3 was converted to compound 6 , (+)‐(10R,11S)‐10,13‐dihydroxyaromadendr‐1‐ene ( 7 ) and (+)‐(10S,11S)‐10,13‐dihydroxyaromadendr‐1‐ene ( 8 ). The structure of the metabolic products has been elucidated on the basis of their spectral data. CONCLUSION: Compound 1 gave only one product that was hydroxylated at C‐10, C‐13 and C‐14. By contrast, compounds 2 and 3 gave a number of products, one of which was common. The differences in oxidation of 1–3 are due to the configuration of the C‐1 position. Compounds 4–8 were new compounds. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Anti beta 2glycoprotein I antibodies and lupus anticoagulant in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss: prevalence and clinical significance

Over 2000 electrocution deaths were identified among U.S. construction workers from 1980 to 1991, with the highest mean annual crude mortality rate (2.5 per 100,000 people), and second highest mean age-adjusted rate (2.7 per 100,000 people) of all industries. Although the crude fatality rates showed a downward trend, construction workers are still about four times more likely to be electrocuted at work than are workers in all industries combined. Nearly 40% of the 5083 fatal electrocutions in all industries combined occurred in construction, and 80% were associated with industrial wiring, appliances, and transmission lines. Electrocutions ranked as the second leading cause of death among construction workers, accounting for an average of 15% of traumatic deaths in the industry from 1980 to 1991. The study indicates that the workers most at risk of electrical injury are male, young, nonwhite, and electricians, structural metal workers, and laborers. The most likely time of injury is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from June to August. Focusing prevention on these populations and characteristics through better methods of worker and supervisor electrical safety training, use of adequate protective clothing, and compliance with established procedures could minimize the average annual loss of 168 U.S. construction workers.     

A case of macrocystic cervical neurinoma diagnosed by MRI with Gd-DTPA

The authors report a rare case of a large cystic cervical neurinoma. A 45-year-old female was admitted to our clinic because of motor weakness of the right upper extremity, numbness of the right fingers and right posterior cervical pain. Metrizamide CT myelography demonstrated the outline of a low density mass. MRI showed a mass revealing low signal intensity on T1-weighted image, high signal intensity on T2-weighted image and marginal enhancement on contrast image with Gd-DTPA. The mass which was diagnosed as cystic tumor, was located in the intradural extramedullary space between C4 to C5 segments. After C4 through C5 laminectomy, the tumor was found to originate from the C5 anterior motor root. The tumor consisted mostly of a cystic part with a very thin solid compartment beneath the capsule. Postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. Although spinal neurinoma is one of the most common spinal tumors, an almost completely degenerated large cystic spinal neurinoma is extremely rare. MRI with Gd-DTPA was useful for the diagnosis of the cystic neurinoma by clearly enhancing the margin of the tumor.     

Interfacial reaction between CO2-CO gas and molten iron oxide containing P2O5

The interfacial reaction between CO₂-CO gas and molten iron oxide containing P₂O₅ was investigated by the ¹³CO₂-CO isotope exchange technique at 1773 K with CO₂/CO=1.0. The apparent rate constant rapidly decreased with the addition of P₂O₅ up to 2.86 mol pct PO_2.5 and the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio kept constant at approximately 0.2. By the classic site blockage model, in which the reaction only occurs on the vacant sites, and the modified site blockage model, in which the reaction occurs on the vacant sites and the sites occupied by phosphorus simultaneously, the effect of the addition of P₂O₅ was analyzed and the reaction mechanism of CO₂ dissociation was discussed. It may be concluded that the dissociation of the adsorbed CO₂ molecule is reasonable as a rate-determining step and that the effect of phosphorus on the interfacial reaction is caused by the decrease in the number of active sites with the increase of phosphorus content as a surface active element in molten iron oxide.     

Effect of surface-modifying macromolecules and solvent evaporation time on the performance of polyethersulfone membranes for the separation of chloroform/water mixtures by pervaporation

Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes using different evaporation periods were fabricated by the phase-inversion method. Pervaporation experiments were conducted for chloroform/water mixtures to determine the selectivity of the PES membranes. It was found that chloroform could be concentrated in the permeate from chloroform/water binary feed mixtures by PES membranes prepared using longer evaporation periods, and that the selectivity of PES membranes in pervaporation could be reversed by shorter evaporation periods. This study also showed that by adding surface-modifying macromolecules (SMM) up to 1 wt % into the casting solution, chloroform enrichment in the permeate could be increased by 50%. Chloroform enrichment increased with increasing SMM concentration until an optimal value, after which the enrichment decreased. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Monolithic rat-race mixers for millimeter waves

In this paper, we report on fully monolithic millimeter-wave Schottky-barrier diode (SBD) down-converters with an IF amplifier using heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's). A rat-race circuit is used for the mixer, and is analyzed using a harmonic-balance simulator. The measured conversion gain and the isolation are 7.1 and 29 dB in the V-band design, and 8.0 and 25 dB in the W-band design, respectively. The conversion gains are matched well with the circuit simulation     

Dynamic Studies On Human Body Sway By Using A Simple Model With Special Concerns On The Pelvic And Muscle Roles

The human pelvis is such a unique structure that enables our upper body to work so perfectly with the two legs so as to control the body's balance in the complicated postures. The aim of this study is to establish a new dynamic body sway control model in the upright standing body position in coronal plane, and to reveal the possible control mechanisms underlying the body sway with special concerns on the roles that the pelvis and its muscles are performing during the sway. The plant of control model, the dynamics of human body, includes five parts, i.e. two ankles, two hips and one lumbosacral joint, which makes up a multi‐link inverted pendulum system, and is driven by two pairs of muscles, the psoas major (PM) and glutaeus medius (GM). Body sway records from eight healthy young subjects showed that the angular sway scopes of the ankle on roll (lateral) plane are 0.94±0.36± (eye‐open) and 1.35±0.52± (eye‐closed) respectively, while in lumbosacral plane, the scopes are 0.99±0.41± (eye‐open) and 1.27±0.72± (eye‐closed). The ankle and lumbosacral sways were almost in the same degree, yet their phase difference was near ±n, which means that the body trunk maintains perpendicular to horizon during the upright stance. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity from GM also showed the same evidence: the activated GM was always in the same side as the deviated center‐of‐pressure (COP). By assuming the corrective torque of posture is regulated by PID (proportional, integral and derivative) control, the body sway can be simulated by applying human physical parameters. Our study results demonstrated that the simulated traces are consistent with the experimental recorded, suggesting that the pelvis is an important structure for the posture maintenance and control, and the mechanism of balance keeping control during upright stance can be approximately taken as a PID control. The result also suggests a novel means for postural stability assessment in individual in the future.     

Reverse osmosis separation of hydrocarbons in aqueous solutions using porous cellulose acetate membranes

A physicochemical parameter, represented by the symbol Σs^*, based on molar solubility in water and molar attraction constants of Small, has been developed to express quantitatively the relative hydrophobicity, or nonpolar character, of the hydrocarbon molecule. The value of Σs^* can be calculated for a hydrocarbon from its chemical structure. The scale of Σs^* is consistent within each group of aromatic, cyclic, and noncyclic hydrocarbons. Reverse osmosis data have been obtained at 250 psig for single-solute aqueous feed solution systems involving low concentrations of 39 different hydrocarbons (including 13 aromatics, 10 cyclic, and 16 noncyclic compounds) and several samples of cellulose acetate membranes of different surface porosities. The effect of operating pressure on membrane performance has also been studied for two aromatic hydrocarbon solutes. The values of Σs^* for the solutes used were in the range of 425 to 924 for aromatic hydrocarbons, 521 to 931 for cyclic hydrocarbons, and 369 to 960 for noncyclic hydrocarbons. The reverse osmosis data have been correlated with Σs^* for each group of hydrocarbons studied. In all cases, positive solute separations were obtained, and the ratio [PR]/[PWP] was less than 1. With respect to each film, solute separation increased with increase in Σs^*, and decreased with increase in operating pressure. Also, solute separation decreased in the order aromatic hydrocarbon > cyclic hydrocarbon > noncyclic hydrocarbon at any given value of Σs^*. At a given operating pressure, for low values of Σs^* (～500 or less) solute separation increased with progressive decrease in average pore size on the membrane surface. For high values of Σs^* (～800 or more), solute separation initially increased with decrease in average pore size, then passed through a maximum and minimum with further decrease in average pore size, and again increased with still further decrease in average pore size. The results are discussed on the basis of preferential sorption of solute at the membrane–solution interface under the experimental conditions studied.