Effect of a low-fat diet enriched with oleic acid on postprandial lipemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of a low-fat diet enriched with oleic acid to those of a low-fat diet enriched with linoleic acid on fasting lipids, postprandial lipemia, and oxidative susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In a 3-wk randomized crossover study, eight patients with type 2 DM were given an experimental low-fat diet enriched with either oleic acid or linoleic acid. The oleic-acid-enriched diet contained 5, 15, and 5% energy from saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the linoleic-acid-enriched diet contained 5, 5, and 15% energy from saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. In addition to evaluating the fasting lipids and oxidative susceptibility of LDL, we evaluated postprandial lipemia using an oral fat load at the end of each 3-wk dietary phase. There were no significant differences in fasting lipid profile or lag time of LDL oxidation between the two experimental dietary phases. The average and maximal increments of remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol levels during oral fat load were significantly higher after the oleic-acid-enriched dietary phase than after the linoleic-acid-enriched dietary phase. The area under the curve of RLP cholesterol was also significantly larger after the oleicacid-enriched dietary phase than after the linoleic-acid-enriched dietary phase. These results suggest that the oleic-acidenriched diet was associated with increased formation of postprandial chylomicron remnants compared with the linoleicacid-enriched diet.     

Synthesis of polyamide-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites

Simultaneous one-pot syntheses of PA66 and HAp were carried out by extracting H₂O and CO₂ from PA66 monomers and HAp raw materials, respectively, resulting in the formation of a polyamide (PA) 66-hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocomposite. During the process, a spherical nano-sized HAp particle was precipitated following dissolution of micro-sized CaHPO₄・2H₂O. The PA66 monomers were subsequently adsorbed onto the generated HAp product. Some of the adsorbed PA66 monomers formed a bound polymer on HAp, and an increase in the adhesiveness of the PA66-HAp interface was observed as the polymerization progressed. During this process, the synthesis of a nanocomposite from a micro-sized raw material and creation of an autonomous strong interface between the matrix and filler was achieved. In addition, the shape of the resultant HAp was controllable and could be modified to needle shape by the addition of F⁻ and Mg²⁺ ions to the raw material. HAp could also be changed to plate shape via octa-calcium phosphate (OCP). Notably, during the synthesis, the filler shape of the nanocomposite could be controlled to 0D (particle), 1D (needle), and 2D (plate).     

Effect of steric hindrance on hydrogen‐bonding interaction between polyesters and natural polyphenol catechin

The phase behaviors for the blends of poly(3‐hydroxypropionate) (PHP), poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA), poly(D ‐lactide) (PDLA), and poly(D,L ‐lactide) (PDLLA) with catechin were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. In PLLA/catechin, PDLA/catechin, and PDLLA/catechin blends, two glass transitions were detected when the catechin content was ≥40 wt %, whereas in PHP/catechin blends only one glass transition was observed over the whole range of blend compositions. The former and the latter results should reflect the inhomogeneous and the homogeneous nature of the blends, respectively, in the amorphous phase. These different phase behaviors should arise from the differences in the chemical structures between PHP and PLLA/PDLA/PDLLA, which dominates the strength and the number of intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions between the ester carbonyl groups of polyesters and the phenol groups of catechin. As detected by FTIR spectroscopy, in comparison with PHP, the steric hindrance of side‐chain methyl groups of PLLA, PDLA, and PDLLA might restrain the formation of hydrogen bonds between their ester carbonyl groups and the phenol hydroxyl groups of catechin, even weakening the strength of such hydrogen bonds. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3565–3573, 2004     

Oxygen Reduction Electrode Properties of Manganese Oxide Nanosheet-Based Materials

Two types of oxide nanosheet-based materials, H₃O⁺-form regularly stacked manganese oxide nanosheets (H₃O⁺-RG(Mn)) and H₃O⁺-form randomly restacked manganese oxide nanosheets (H₃O⁺-RE(Mn)) were synthesized by soft chemical methods, and their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and semi-steady-state voltammetry (SSV) with a rotating ring-disc electrode at 70 °C in 0.1 M KOH. Both samples showed high onset potentials (E _on) of the ORR current and high efficiencies (Eff ₄) of the 4-electron reduction of oxygen, and E _on and Eff ₄ values were improved by electrochemical oxidation up to 1.2 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) in the CV measurement prior to the SSV measurement. As a result, the nanosheet-based samples exhibited higher ORR activities than the starting materials, K⁺-form layered manganese oxide K_0.5MnO₂ (K⁺-RG(Mn)) and Mn₂O₃, and a well-known ORR catalyst, MnO₂. The H₃O⁺-RE(Mn) sample electrochemically oxidized up to 1.2 V showed the highest ORR activity, E _on = 0.97 V and Eff ₄ = 99%, which were comparable to those of a conventional 20 mass% Pt/C catalyst. The comparison of their ORR activities, BET surface areas and X-ray photoelectron spectra suggests that the enhancement of the ORR activity is attributed to an increase in the numbers of the ORR active sites and a large amount of H₂O in the interlayers and on the surface of the nanosheets because of rapid of H₂O-supply enough for ORR in alkaline solution.     

Synthesis of Polypeptide-Polyether Conjugates from an Activated Urethane Derivative of γ-Benzyl-L-glutamate as a Monomer

N-(4-Nitrophenoxycarbonyl)-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (1) was heated at 60 °C in N,N-dimethylacetoamide (DMAc) in the presence of p-(tert-butyl)phenylmethylamine (2) to afford poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) in high yield. ¹H NMR analysis of the obtained polymer revealed that the p-(tert-butyl)phenylmethyl group was successfully introduced into the polymer chain end. Under the same conditions, polycondensations of 1 in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol)s having amino terminals were performed. Both of the components were consumed quantitatively to afford the corresponding block copolymers having poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) and poly(ethylene glycol) segments. The molecular weights of the copolymers were controlled by the feed ratio [1]₀/[amino group in the macroinitiator]₀. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article at contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Anomalous oxide scale formation under exposure of sodium containing gases for solid oxide fuel cell alloy interconnects

Reactivity of oxide scale on Fe-Cr alloy with Na-containing gases was examined to estimate the stability against sodium (Na): vapors of NaCl and Na₂SO₄ exposures with air flow at 1073 K. The identified reaction phases were Cr-Mn spinel, Cr₂O₃, and alloy from the X-ray diffraction of surface with no Na-reaction products. However, the protective oxide scales (Mn-Cr spinel and Cr₂O₃ layers) on the Fe-Cr alloy were partially decomposed by reacting with Na to form Na-compounds inside the oxide scale/alloy interfaces. In some parts, anomalous oxide scales were found around the oxide scale/Fe-Cr alloy interfaces, with forming Na-rich compounds: the compounds were distributed inner parts of oxide scales around oxide scale/alloy interfaces. The stability of oxide scales and degradation were discussed based on the observed distribution of elements.     

Optical sensing of materials movements occurring at a plant surface with a probe beam

Optical sensing of materials movements across a plant surface with a probe beam is reported. It is based on monitoring of deflection of a probe beam passing through a vicinity of the plant surface. The deflection of the probe beam was caused by concentration gradients of chemical species involved in the materials moments in physiological activities of the plant. Typha angustifolia L. was used as a model plant. The beam deflection at different locations of both leaves and roots in respiration process were monitored and compared. It is found that deflection signals changed with time and locations. Experimental results showed that the beam deflection method could be used for noninvasive sensing and monitoring of materials movements across the plant surface.     

Nanostructure formation in the surface layer of metals under influence of high-power electric current pulse

The possibility to tailor the microstructure of metals is explored utilising a skin-effect for surface treatment. The theoretical simulation of the electric and magnetic fields in a metallic cylinder shows that melting followed by rapid quenching can occur in a skin layer of 5–10-μm thickness if the amplitude of a single electric pulse of several nanoseconds duration is of the order of hundreds kiloamperes. The experiments using the SUS304 stainless steel show that besides a thin amorphous layer, a specific nano-twin structure can form at the near-surface region. The appearance of nano-twins is explained considering the stress components arising at the surface layer and in the bulk of the specimen during shock wave propagation caused by temperature gradients and the Lorentz force. It is shown that the high stress amplitudes can arise locally, furnishing the required conditions for twin nucleation and resulting in intensive plastic deformation of the sub-surface layer.