Fucoxanthin Prevents Pancreatic Tumorigenesis in C57BL/6J Mice That Received Allogenic and Orthotopic Transplants of Cancer Cells

Fucoxanthin (Fx) is a marine carotenoid with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties in various animal models of carcinogenesis. However, there is currently no information on the effects of Fx in animal models of pancreatic cancer. We investigated the chemopreventive effects of Fx in C57BL/6J mice that received allogenic and orthotopic transplantations of cancer cells (KMPC44) derived from a pancreatic cancer murine model (Ptf1a^Cre/+; LSL-kras^G12D/+). Using microarray, immunofluorescence, western blot, and siRNA analyses, alterations in cancer-related genes and protein expression were evaluated in pancreatic tumors of Fx-administered mice. Fx administration prevented the adenocarcinoma (ADC) development of pancreatic and parietal peritoneum tissues in a pancreatic cancer murine model, but not the incidence of ADC. Gene and protein expressions showed that the suppression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21 (CCL21)/chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) axis, its downstream of Rho A, B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), N-cadherin, αSMA, pFAK(Tyr³⁹⁷), and pPaxillin(Tyr³¹) were significantly suppressed in the pancreatic tumors of mice treated with Fx. In addition, Ccr7 knockdown significantly attenuated the growth of KMPC44 cells. These results suggest that Fx is a promising candidate for pancreatic cancer chemoprevention that mediates the suppression of the CCL21/CCR7 axis, BTLA, tumor microenvironment, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and adhesion.     

Bubble growth and transient heat transfer at the onset of boiling

An experimental study was conducted to investigate transient local heat transfer around a bubble at onset of boiling on a thin glass heating plate immersed in saturated n-hexane at low pressure. Eight rapid response Cu-Ni thermocouples consisting of a vacuum deposited thin film were used to measure the temperature change of the heating surface. Simultaneous high-speed video photographs were also obtained. The surface temperatures near a nucleation site decreased rapidly owing to the evaporation of a thin layer (microlayer) of liquid formed beneath the bubble in the early period and the rate of bubble growth increased with increasing incipient boiling superheat (ΔT_IB). The thickness of the microlayer decreased markedly with increasing ΔT_IB. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 26(7): 484–492, 1997     

The Fatty Acid Composition in Tuna (Bonito,Euthynnus pelamis) Caught at Three Different Localities from Tropics to Temperate

The present paper describes the effect of habitat on the fatty acid composition of the lipid of bonito (Euthynnus pelamis), which was caught at three different localities, Philippine Sea (the tropical zone; seawater temperature at the fishing ground was 27·8°C), East China Sea (the subtropical zone; seawater temperature was 29·7°C), and the Pacific coast of Japan (the temperate zone; sea-water temperature was 20·3°C). The total lipids of various organs and stomach contents were extracted and their fatty acid composition analysed by gas chromatography (GC). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22: 6n-3) was the major unsaturated fatty acid in the lipid of all specimens examined from all localities. The mean DHA content accounted for more than 25% (mean±standard error: 26·0±0·6%) of the total fatty acids (TFA) in the lipids of all organs, a lipid profile markedly different from that of other fish species whose fatty acid composition is generally variable. Particularly, the mean DHA content of lipids in bonito caught in the northern sea-area sample (the temperate zone) was always high (28·4±0·7% TFA) in the lipid of every organ. Because the DHA contents of lipids of the stomach contents fluctuated between 9·9 and 31·9% TFA, bonito did not simply incorporate the fatty acid profile of the lipids of its prey fishes, but selectively accumulated the DHA. Though the mean DHA content in the lipid of all bonito from the tropical to the temperate zone was markedly higher than other marine fish species such as sardines and herrings, there was a small difference between those in the northern (28·4±0·7% TFA) and southern samples (the subtropical and tropical samples, 24·7±0·8% TFA) (P<0·05). It is suggested that the difference between them may be due to environmental effects, for example, the temperature of the seawater and the fatty acid composition of the lipids of prey organisms. © 1997 SCI.     

Reduction of nitrogen monoxide to nitrogen at gas diffusion electrodes with noble metal catalysts

The electrochemical reduction of NO in alkaline solutions was investigated at gas diffusion electrodes with various metal (Ru, Rh, lr, Pd and Pt) catalysts at various NO flow rates. Reduction currents are observed at potentials more negative than 0.95 V, which increase with the decrease in potential and also with increasing gas flow rate. The faradaic efficiencies of N2O formation decrease with decreasing NO flow rate and with decrease in potential. The faradaic efficiencies of N2 formation increase with decreasing flow rate and with decrease in potential. The reduction of NO to N2 at a flow rate of 5mlmin–1 occurs selectively at potentials more negative than 0.1V; the faradaic efficiency of N2 formation is approximately 95 at Pd catalysts.Electricity production and NO decomposition can be carried out simultaneously using an H2NO fuel cell reactor. The faradaic efficiency of N2 formation at a flow rate of 5mlmin–1 is approximately 80 at a cell voltage of 0.25 V.     

Forced convective boiling of subcooled water at high velocity

This paper deals with heat transfer and critical heat flux (CHF) in subcooled flow boiling offering a fundamental study aimed at high heat flux cooling. Experiments with water at 0.12 MPa were conducted in a mass velocity range from 500 kg/m²s to 15,000 kg/m²s (velocity from 0.5 m/s to 15 m/s) and subcooling from 20 K to 60 K. A sheet of stainless steel (80 mm in heated length, 10 mm wide, and 0.2 mm thick) was mounted flush with a sidewall of a vertical rectangular channel (cross-section 20 mm by 30 mm) and heated directly using direct current. It was found that mass velocity and subcooling strongly affect CHF and heat transfer in non-boiling convection and partial nucleate boiling regimes. These two parameters have no appreciable influence in the fully developed nucleate boiling regime. In the parameter range used, CHF reached 15 MW/m². Boiling bubble behavior just prior to reaching CHF was found to vary depending on mass velocity and subcooling. 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 27(5): 376–389, 1998     

Synthesis and properties of novel sulfonated polyimides bearing sulfophenyl pendant groups for polymer electrolyte fuel cell application

A novel sulfonated diamine bearing sulfophenyl pendant groups of 2,2′-(4-sulfophenyl) benzidine (BSPhB) was synthesized. Sulfonated polyimides (SPIs) derived from 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride, BSPhB and other non-sulfonated diamines were successfully synthesized. The SPIs with ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 1.5-2.8 meq g⁻¹ showed high reduced viscosity of 3-10 dL g⁻¹ and high desulfonation temperature of 320 °C. The SPI membranes were tough and flexible, having high stress at break of more than 80 MPa and elongation of 80-100%. They showed highly anisotropic membrane swelling in water with larger swelling in thickness direction than in plane direction. They showed fairly high proton conductivity (σ). For example, the membrane with IEC of 1.77 meq g⁻¹ exhibited σ values of 120 and 260 mS cm⁻¹ at 60 and 120 °C, respectively, in water. They also showed fairly high water stability.     

Partially Reduced Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticles Formed in Porous Glass Reaction Fields

This paper describes the formation of cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) particles ∼10 nm in diameter and their reduction by hydrogen gas in porous glasses. Nanoparticles of Cu₂O coated with metallic copper are expected to show high third-order optical nonlinear susceptibilities (χ⁽³⁾). The porous glass is a medium in which nanoparticles can be partially reduced without forming agglomerations. Images obtained using transmission electron microscopy showed that particles with the desired core-shell structure were actually formed, even though some particles were not reduced uniformly from the surface. The χ⁽³⁾/α (α: absorbance) values in relevant conditions (10⁻¹³ esu·cm) were similar to that of copper because of the formation of a byproduct of copper nanoparticles on reduction.     

Inhibitory effects of Enterococcus strains obtained from a probiotic product on in vitro growth of Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis strain IFO3313

Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus gallinarum strains were isolated from a commercial probiotic product and the effects of these strains on the growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis strain IFO3313 were investigated. Viable cell counts of Salmonella Enteritidis in mixed cultures with the probiotic product isolate of E. faecium were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in pure cultures after 6, 8, and 24 h when the cultures were incubated in heart infusion broth at 37 and 41 degrees C. Significant differences in viable cell counts of Salmonella Enteritidis in mixed cultures with the probiotic product isolate of E. gallinarum and those in pure cultures were also observed after 8 and 24 h at 37 and 41degrees C. Similar observations were shown in mixed cultures of Salmonella Enteritidis with the reference strains of E. faecium GIFU8355 and E. gallinarum ATCC 49573. Significant differences in viable cell counts of these enterococcal strains were not shown among pure and mixed cultures with Salmonella Enteritidis. The pH values in pure and mixed cultures were 7.0 or 7.5 throughout the experiments. E. faecium strains were found to harbor the genes encoding enterocins A and B and showed inhibitory zones with a diameter of 4 to 6 mm against growth of Salmonella Enteritidis in the enterocin production assays. However, the E. gallinarum strains possessed neither of the enterocin genes tested and exhibited no inhibition zone in the enterocin production assays. These results indicated that enterococcal strains exhibit inhibitory effects on the growth of Salmonella Enteritidis and these effects were due to both enterocin and nonenterocin factors.     

Effect of the Treatment Temperature on the Surface Drying Set of Sugi Boxed-Heart Square Timber

High-temperature and controlled humidity treatment before drying has proven to be highly effective in preventing surface checks by forming drying sets in the surface layer of boxed-heart square timber in Japan. In this study, we examined the differences of the surface drying sets on sugi timber under different treatment temperatures. As a result, the width of a surface check after drying was much smaller at a treatment temperature of 120°C than at 80°C, and this indicates that the drying set with 120°C treatment would be larger than that with 80°C treatment. Also we observed that treatment temperature had a greater effect on the drying set as the drying advanced.