Cellulose production from glucose using a glucose dehydrogenase gene (gdh)-deficient mutant of Gluconacetobacter xylinus and its use for bioconversion of sweet potato pulp

A gene fragment encoding a putative pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ GDH) was cloned from a bacterial cellulose (BC)-forming acetic acid bacterium, Gluconacetobacter xylinus (=Acetobacter xylinum) strain BPR 2001, which was isolated as a high BC producer when using fructose as the carbon source. A GDH-deficient mutant of strain BPR 2001, namely GD-I, was then generated via gene disruption using the cloned gene fragment. Strain GD-I produced no gluconic acid but produced 4.1 g.l(-1) of BC aerobically in medium containing glucose as the carbon source. The ability of strain GD-I to convert glucose to BC was approximately 1.7-fold higher than that of the wild type. Strain GD-I was also able to produce 5.0 g.l(-1) of BC from a saccharified solution, which was derived from sweet potato pulp by enzymatic saccharification. Supplementation of ethanol during aerobic cultivation further increased the concentration of BC produced by strain GD-I to 7.0 g.l(-1). The rate of conversion from glucose to BC under these cultivation conditions was equivalent to that of strain BPR 2001 cultivated with fructose as the carbon source.     

Milk basic protein supplementation exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in a food-allergic enteropathy model mouse

To examine novel functions of milk basic protein (MBP) in T-cell-related inflammatory diseases, such as autoimmune diseases and allergies, we evaluated the effects of MBP on the causative responses of ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T cells in a food-allergic enteropathy model, OVA23–3 mice, which express an OVA-specific T-cell receptor gene. The OVA-specific CD4⁺ T cells of the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) from OVA23–3 mice were cultured with CD11c⁺ dendritic cells of MLN from BALB/cA mice in the absence or presence of MBP following stimulation with OVA; then the levels of CD69 expression and the levels of cytokine production by CD4⁺ T cells were measured to evaluate activation. The effects of MBP supplementation of OVA 23–3 mice were assessed by feeding a diet containing OVA (OVA diet) with or without MBP for 28 d. Intestinal inflammation, together with activation and cytokine production of CD4⁺ T cells by MLN, as well as femoral bone mineral density, were measured. In in vitro culture, MBP inhibited excess activation and IL-4 production by CD4⁺ T cells. The supplementation of MBP to the OVA diet attenuated OVA-specific IgE production in OVA-diet-fed OVA23–3 mice and slightly resolved developing enteropathy caused by excess IL-4 production by CD4⁺ T cells. Feeding OVA diet to OVA23–3 mice exhibited bone loss accompanied with enteropathy, whereas MBP supplementation prevented bone loss and increased osteoprotegerin, an osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor, in the mice. The inhibition of T-cell-activation in both MLN and bone marrow by MBP supplementation may help prevent increased IgE levels caused by excessive IL-4 production and bone loss accompanied by enteropathy. Our findings show that MBP may help attenuate both T-cell-related inflammation and bone loss.     

Determination of enzymes from Colletotrichum sp. AHU9748 essential for lepidimoide production from okra polysaccharide

The allelopathic substance lepidimoide (Lp), which exhibits multiple functions in the growth and development of plants, was produced by Colletotrichum sp. AHU9748 from okra polysaccharide. Okra polysaccharide has the repeating structure (1-->4)-O-alpha-(d-galactopyranosyluronic acid)-(1-->2)-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranose in its hexasaccharide repeating unit of its main chain. To determine the enzymes essential for Lp production, the supernatant of a culture broth was fractionated by repeated column chromatographies to identify two serial fractions responsible for Lp production and non-Lp production by measuring Lp production together with beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), rhamnogalacturonan lyase (RG-lyase) and acetylesterase (AE) activities, which we hypothesized to be necessary for Lp production from the structure of Lp. We confirmed the presence of these three enzymatic activities in the highest-Lp-producing fraction. The addition of purified RG-lyase to fractions producing no or a small amount of Lp demonstrated that beta-gal and RG-lyase activities are necessary for Lp production. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the three separated proteins on SDS-PAGE confirmed the presence of enzymes identical to beta-gal, RG-lyase and AE in the Lp-producing fractions.     

The study of latent heat transport characteristics by solid particles and saccharide solution mixtures

The purpose of this study is the development of latent heat transport system by using the mixture of the minute latent heat storage materials and the saccharine solution as medium. The experimental studies are carried out by the evaluation of viscosity and pressure loss in a pipe. Polyethylene (P.E.) is selected as the dispersed minute material that has closeness density (920kg/m3) of ice (917kg/m3). D-sorbitol and D-xylose solutions are picked as continuum phase of the test mixture. The concentration of D-sorbitol solution is set 48mass% from measured results of saturation solubility and the melting point. 40mass% solution of D-xylose is selected as the other test continuum phase. The non-ion surfactant, EA157 Dai-ichiseiyaku CO. Ltd, is used in order to prevent of dispersed P.E. powder cohere. The pressure loss of test mixture is measured by the straight circular pipe that has smooth inner surface. The measuring length for pressure loss is 1000 mm, and the inner diameter of pipe is 15mm. The accuracy of experiment apparatus for measuring pressure loss is within ±5%. The pressure loss data is estimated by the relationship between the heat transport ratio and the required pump power. It is clarified that the optimum range of mixing ratio exists over 10mass% of latent heat storage material.     

Analysis of volatile compounds in Polished-graded wheat flours using headspace sorptive extraction

Headspace sorptive extraction method was used to determine the volatile flavor compounds of the Polished-graded wheat flours and commonly milled wheat flour (CW). The Polished-graded wheat flours of three fractions, C-1 (100-90%), C-5 (60-50%) and C-8 (30–0%), and CW obtained from a hard-type wheat cultivar ‘1CW’ (No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring) were used in the present study. A total of 48 volatile flavor compounds determined in all samples were common as in the wheat grain or flour. The major volatile compounds in C-1 included methoxybenzene (i.e. 1,4-dimethoxybenzene, 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene) associated with musty odors, and nitrogen compounds (i.e. trimethylamine, 3(4)-methyl pyridine, and 3-methoxy pyridine). The volatile flavor compounds identified in C-5 and C-8 were similar to those in CW. But, some compounds that have a connection with both oxidation products from unsaturated fatty acids and metabolites of a number of species associated with moldy grains, were more abundant in C-5 and C-8 than in CW. Furthermore, hexanal, methanol, ethanol, hexanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octen-2-one, (E,Z)-3,5-octadien-2-one, (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2-one were considerably abundant in C-5 and C-8.     

Magnetic properties of thin permalloy tapes annealed below recrystallization temperature

5Mo- and 9Cu-4Mo-Permalloys containing about 80- percent Ni were cold-rolled to tapes 8 μ in thickness and annealed below the recrystallization temperature. Hard cold-rolling of these Permalloys developed the easy axis with high squareness, and the hard axis with low residual induction. Induced anisotropy energy for 9Cu-4Mo-Permalloy tapes was reduced tosim 10^{2}erg/cm³by the annealing, without decrease of squareness value along the easy axis or increase of residual induction along the hard axis. However, for 5Mo-Permalloys the squareness value along the easy axis was reduced by annealing. In 5Mo-Permalloy tapes containing 80-percent Ni and 9Cu-4Mo-Permalloy tapes containing 73-percent Ni, applied tension did not affect the magnetic properties measured after the annealing. The influence of the cube-texture, which was developed in an intermediate annealing, disappeared after the annealing at about 500°C.     

Theoretical Investigation of Lattice Thermal Vibration Effects on Phase Equilibria Within Cluster Variation Method

First-principles phase equilibria calculations often overestimate an order-disorder transition temperature due to the neglect of local lattice distortion effects originated from the mixture of elements of different atomic sizes. The lattice vibration effects introduced through the Debye-Grüneisen theory within the quasi-harmonic approximation has proven to be quite effective in circumventing the inconveniences. With the preferential enhancement of the stability of a disordered phase by introducing the lattice vibration effects, the transition temperature was reduced considerably. In order to gain further insight into the lattice vibration effects, a systematic investigation of the vibrational free energy of the Debye-Grüneisen theory is attempted on the two-dimensional square lattice which constitutes a prototype study prior to the first-principles calculations on realistic alloy systems. A particular focus of the present study is placed on the effects of Debye temperatures of constituent phases on the transition temperature. It is shown that lattice softening by lattice vibration stabilizes the disordered phase by reducing the energy expended to accommodate atoms of different sizes, which is manifested by the reduction of the curvature of the atomic potentials. It is, however, predicted that an opposite case can also take place. When the Debye temperature of an ordered phase is lower than that of the pure metals, the ordered phase is more stabilized and the inclusion of the lattice vibration effects in the free energy raises the resultant transition temperature.     

Accuracy of clinical prediction of survival for terminally ill cancer patients

Accurate estimation of survival is vital for effective palliative care. To verify the value of clinical prediction of survival (CPS), a prospective study was performed on 150 terminally ill cancer patients. The CPS was highly correlated with actual survival (AS), but the accuracy was not significantly superior to the prediction by performance status alone. Serious pessimistic error, defined as AS was at least 28 days and twice as long as CPS, was recognized in 13%, while serious optimistic error, defined as AS was less than 28 days and half as long as CPS, in 15%. The frequency of serious error was not significantly different by physicians' experiences, patients' age, sex, primary disease, and metastatic locations, but was significantly higher in cases with better performance status. Also, unexpected changes resulting in death were experienced in 42% of another 186 cases. The main underlying causes were pneumonia, bleeding, heart failure, intestinal perforation, cerebrovascular disease, hepatic/renal failure, hypoglycemia, sepsis and electrolyte imbalance. Clinical prediction was not sufficiently reliable and must be further improved.     

Development of an end-use model for analyzing policy options toreduce greenhouse gas emissions

An end-use energy model is presented for assessing policy options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This model evaluates the effects of imposing a carbon tax on various carbon-emitting technologies in order to reduce CO₂ emissions. It also estimates the effects of a carbon tax in combination with subsidies. The problem can be formulated in terms of two-level mathematical programming. An algorithm is proposed and applied to estimate Japanese CO₂ emissions. The conditions under which energy-saving technologies would be selected are analyzed using various carbon tax rates and subsidies, and the reduction of CO₂ emissions is calculated based on the introduction of such technologies. It is found that a low carbon tax such as 3000 yen per metric ton of carbon (tC) is insufficient to stabilize CO₂ emissions at the 1990 level in Japan, and that a tax of 30000 yen/tC would be necessary. However, the proposed algorithm shows that total emissions in Japan in the year 2000 can be stabilized at the 1990 level with a tax of 3000 yen/tC if the tax revenues are used to subsidize the introduction of energy-saving technologies