Antimicrobial activity of a compound isolated from an oil-macerated garlic extract

A compound showing antimicrobial activity was isolated from an oil-macerated garlic extract by silica gel column chromatography and preparative TLC. On basis of the results of NMR and MS analyses, it was identified as Z-4,5,9-trithiadeca-1,6-diene-9-oxide (Z-10-devinylajoene; Z-10-DA). Z-10-DA exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against such microorganisms as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. The antimicrobial activity of Z-10-DA was comparable to that of Z-ajoene, but was superior to that of E-ajoene. Z-10-DA and Z-ajoene are different in respect of substitution of the allyl group by the methyl group flanking a sulfinyl group. This result suggests that substitution by the methyl group would also be effective for the inhibition of microbial growth.     

Density, Surface Tension, and Viscosity of PbO-B2O3-SiO2 Glass Melts

The density, surface tension, and viscosity of the melts from the PbO-B₂O₃-SiO₂ system have been measured at temperatures in the range 1073–1473 K. The effect of composition on these properties was also investigated. The density of the melt was found to increase linearly with increasing PbO content. Molar volume was derived from the density data, and its deviation from the additivity of partial molar volumes was calculated. These deviations in molar volume from those obtained from additivity rules have been used along with the ratio of various coordination numbers of boron (as reported by Bray) to discuss the structure of the melts. The surface tension was found to decrease with decreasing SiO₂/B₂O₃ ratio, and to increase in the range of the PbO content between 30 and 60 mol%, showing a maximum at ∼60 mol% PbO, and then decreased with further additions. This result suggested that the surface tension would be affected primarily by the B₂O₃ content in the range of the PbO content between 30–60 mol%, and mainly by the PbO content in the range of the PbO content >60 mol%, respectively. The viscosity of the melt was found to decrease linearly with increasing PbO content. The results obtained indicate that the increase in viscosity with B₂O₃ was half that of SiO₂ (on a molar basis), and an empirical equation has been proposed for the viscosity as a function of mole fraction.     

Ion beam analyses of surface films formed on amorphous Fe12Mo18C alloy in 1 N HCl

The Rutherford backscattering with 2 MeV He⁺ and the ¹⁶O(d,p)¹⁷O¹ nuclear reaction with 1.8 MeV D₂⁺ were utilized to determine the concentration profiles of iron, molybdenum and oxygen in the surfaces of an amorphous Fe12Mo18C alloy polarized in 1 N HCl at potentials from ? 0.17 to 1.6 V(SCE). The thickness of the surface film was estimated as 20–200 nm. In the primary active region, selective dissolution of iron and carbon causes enrichment of molybdenum ions in the corrosion product film and of metallic molybdenum in the topmost part of the underlying alloy. A further potential increase led to a decrease in the molybdenum content in the film by transpassive dissolution. Molybdenum ions were not concentrated in the film formed in the stable passive region of 0.5–1.5 V(SCE). The high passivating ability of the amorphous alloy even in the aggressive HCl was ascribed to the homogeneity of the alloy structure as well as to the effect of molybdenum.     

The deposition of material on millimeter-sized single spheres in the transverse configuration of HGMS

The deposition of particles on millimeter-sized single spheres in transverse high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is observed microscopically under different conditions of magnetic field and flow velocity. The results are related to a semiempirical model of the collection process as a function of total particle mass transfer through the system.     

A large-area wireless power-transmission sheet using printed organic transistors and plastic MEMS switches

The electronics fields face serious problems associated with electric power; these include the development of ecologically friendly power-generation systems and ultralow-power-consuming circuits. Moreover, there is a demand for developing new power-transmission methods in the imminent era of ambient electronics, in which a multitude of electronic devices such as sensor networks will be used in our daily life to enhance security, safety and convenience. We constructed a sheet-type wireless power-transmission system by using state-of-the-art printing technologies using advanced electronic functional inks. This became possible owing to recent progress in organic semiconductor technologies; the diversity of chemical syntheses and processes on organic materials has led to a new class of organic semiconductors, dielectric layers and metals with excellent electronic functionalities. The new system directly drives electronic devices by transmitting power of the order of tens of watts without connectors, thereby providing an easy-to-use and reliable power source. As all of the components are manufactured on plastic films, it is easy to place the wireless power-transmission sheet over desks, floors, walls and any other location imaginable.     

Model-based design and experimental validation of active vibration control for a stress ribbon bridge using pneumatic muscle actuators

This paper describes the development of an active vibration control system for a light and flexible stress ribbon footbridge. The 13 m span carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) stress ribbon bridge was built in the laboratory of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Berlin Institute of Technology. Its lightness and flexibility result in high vibration sensitivity. To reduce pedestrian-induced vibrations, very light pneumatic muscle actuators are placed at handrail level, introducing control forces. First, a reduced discretized analytical model is derived for the stress ribbon bridge. To verify the analytical prediction, experiments without feedback control are conducted. Based on this model, a delayed velocity feedback control strategy is designed. To handle the nonlinearities of the muscle actuator, a subsidiary force control is implemented. Then the control performance from numerical simulation is verified by experiments under free vibration. As a result, analytical analyses agree well with experimental results. It is demonstrated that handrail-introduced forces can efficiently control the first mode response.     

Concrete Crack Detection by Multiple Sequential Image Filtering

Abstract: This article presents a new robust automated image processing method for detecting cracks in surface images of concrete structures. This method involves two steps: (1) development of an image filter for detecting major cracks using genetic programming (GP), and (2) elimination of residual noise after filtering and detection of indistinct cracks by iterative applications of the image filter to the local regions surrounding the cracks. The proposed method can be used for the accurate detection of cracks in surface images recorded under various conditions. Moreover, the widths of the detected cracks can be quantified on the basis of the spatial derivatives of the brightness patterns. The estimated crack widths are in good agreement with those measured manually.     

Neutral Lipids Present in Starch of Uruchi and Mochi Rice

The total lipid contents of rice starch were 1.30 and 0.92%, and the ratios of neutral lipid to polar lipid were 56:44, and 77:23 in the case of Urichi and Mochi, respectively. The main classes of neutral lipids were free fatty acids, triglycerides, free sterols and sterolesters. The major components of free fatty acids and triglycerides were linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids. Among the component fatty acids of rice starch triglycerides, palmitic acid occupied almost exclusively 1-C and 3-C positions, 2-C position was rich in linoleic acid, and oleic acid was equally distributed in 1-C, 2-C and 3-C positions. The fatty acids in Uruchi triglycerides were symmetrically distributed in 1-C and 3-C positions, but Mochi triglycerides were of asymmetrical distribution. There was no appreciable difference in the sterol compositions of free sterols and sterolesters.     

Measurement of Ether Phospholipids in Human Plasma with HPLC–ELSD and LC/ESI–MS After Hydrolysis of Plasma with Phospholipase A1

Ethanolamine ether phospholipid (eEtnGpl) and choline ether phospholipid (eChoGpl) are present in human plasma or serum, but the relative concentration of the ether phospholipids in plasma is very low as compared to those in other tissues. Nowadays, measurement of ether phospholipids in plasma depends on tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), but a system for LC/MS/MS is generally too expensive for usual clinical laboratories. Treatment of plasma with phospholipase A₁ (PLA1) causes complete hydrolysis of diacylphospholipids, but ether phospholipids remain intact. After the treatment of plasma with PLA1, both eEtnGpl and eChoGpl are detected as independent peaks by high‐performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC–ELSD). The same sample used for HPLC–ELSD can be applied to detect eEtnGpl and eChoGpl with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Presence of alkylacylphospholipids in both eChoGpl and eEtnGpl in human plasma was indicated by sequential hydrolysis of plasma with PLA1 and hydrochloric acid.