Nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization based mass imaging with cellular resolution

Today, two-dimensional mass spectrometry analysis of biological tissues by means of a technique called mass imaging, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), or imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has found application in investigating the distribution of moleculesMSI with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and secondary ion MS (SIMS). However, the size of the matrix crystal and the migration of analytes can decrease the spatial resolution in MALDI, and SIMS can only ionize compounds with relatively low molecular weights. To overcome these problems, we developed a nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization (nano-PALDI)-based MSI. We used nano-PALDI MSI to visualize lipids and peptides at a resolution of 15 microm in mammalian tissues.     

Internal curing of Class-F fly-ash concrete using high-volume roof-tile waste aggregate

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a high volume of roof-tile waste coarse aggregate (5–13 mm) as an internal curing agent on the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, pore structure, and hydration and pozzolanic reactions in paste of fly-ash concrete with a low water-to-binder ratio of 0.30. The fly-ash concrete specimens in which the replacement ratio of cement by Class-F fly ash was 40% by mass and that of normal coarse aggregate by roof-tile waste aggregate was 40% by volume, were cured up to 728 days. Internal curing with roof-tile waste aggregate increased the compressive strength of the fly-ash concrete by 8.4–16.5% and decreased the modulus of elasticity by 4.9–12.8%. The use of a high volume of waste aggregate decreased the volume of the capillary pores in the 0.01–10 µm range and the volume proportion of the 0.02–0.33-µm pores after 28 days, but increased the volume proportion of 0.003–0.02-µm pores slightly at 7 days and significantly up to 728 days, and the consumption of Ca(OH)₂ in the fly-ash concrete. This roof-tile waste aggregate can be used as an internal water reservoir to increase the compressive strength and to improve the pore structure of concrete with a high-volume (40%) replacement of Class-F fly ash.     

Pheromone Binding to General Odorant-binding Proteins from the Navel Orangeworm

General odorant-binding proteins (GOBPs) of moths are postulated to be involved in the reception of semiochemicals other than sex pheromones, the so-called “general odorants.” We have expressed two GOBPs, AtraGOBP1 and AtraGOBP2, which were previously isolated from the antennae of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella. Surprisingly, these two proteins did not bind compounds that are known to attract adult moths, particularly females. The proper folding and functionality of the recombinant proteins was inferred from circular dichroism analysis and demonstration that both GOBPs bound nonanal in a pH-dependent manner. EAG experiments demonstrated that female attractants (1-phenylethanol, propionic acid phenyl ester, and isobutyric acid phenyl ester) are detected with high sensitivity by the antennae of day-0 to day-4 adult females, with response declining in older moths. The same age-dependence was shown for male antennae responding to constituents of the sex pheromone. Interestingly, AtraGOBP2 bound the major constituent of the sex pheromone, Z11Z13-16Ald, with affinity comparable to that shown by a pheromone-binding protein, AtraPBP1. The related alcohol bound to AtraPBP1 with higher affinity than to AtraGOBP2. AtraGOBP1 bound both ligands with low but nearly the same affinity.     

Comparative analysis of a CFo ATP synthase subunit II homologue derived from marine and fresh-water algae

Comparative analysis was performed with a CFo ATP synthase subunit II homologue (CFo-II) derived from marine or fresh-water algae. The marine algae-derived CFo-II-transformed Escherichia coli grew and accumulated ATP more vigorously in NaCl or Cadmium containing medium, suggesting that this gene was useful for the development of stress-tolerant plant.     

Relationship between apneic episodes and destruction of temporomandibular joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

There have been only a few investigational reports of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although it may not be a rare condition and may be life-threatening occasionally. The factor precipitating SAS in such patients is thought to be destruction of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) from RA processes. To assess the relationship of the degree of destruction of the TMJs to the frequency of apnea, we examined them in 10 RA patients who complained of snoring. Those patients were classified as classical RA according to the criteria of American Rheumatism Association. They consisted of 3 males and 7 females with a mean age of 57.8 + 11.0 years and a mean disease duration of 15.9 +/- 9.4 years. In order to numerically evaluate the degree of destruction of the mandibular rami, we quoted a method from the literature (Redlund-Johnell I, Scand J Rheumatol 16:355, 1987) and measured the vertical distance (= ramal height) from the mandibular angle to the palato-occipital line on the lateral view film of the cervical spine in each patient. The mean values of ramal height (RH) of the normal material (we studied in Japanese) are 46.0 mm in males and 38.3 mm in females. There were 8 cases of SAS out of the 10 RA patients studied. Their mean total apneic episode (TAE) was 289.9 mm with a range of 0-611. The mean ratio (%) of RH to mean value of the normal material (%RH) was 68.8 +/- 22.2% for all. There was a significant statistic correlation between TAE and %RH (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Improvement of Water Lubricity of Titanium Nitride–Titanium Composite by Hydrophilic Silane Coupling Agent

To improve the lubricity of titanium nitride–titanium (TiN–Ti) composite in water, a hydrophilic silane coupling agent was added to the water. The tribological characteristics of the TiN–Ti composite in distilled water and in aqueous solutions of the silane coupling agent ranging in concentration from 0.001 to 0.1 mol/L were investigated. The silane coupling agent effectively inhibited the formation of a thick titanium oxide layer, which degrades the water lubricity of Ti-based materials, on the sliding surface. The lubricity of the TiN–Ti composite in the aqueous solutions of the silane coupling agent was much better than that in distilled water.     

Rapid determination of iodine value by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

High-resolution ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) has been found to be an effective tool for the direct, rapid, and automated determination of the iodine value (IV) of vegetable oils, including hydrogenated oils (IV=45.9–140.2). The total time required to obtain the ¹H NMR data is about 3 min per sample. The IV is calculated from the number of double-bonded protons and the average molecular weight derived directly from the spectrum. The average of olefinic protons and allylic plus divinyl protons area was used to calculate the absolute number of double-bonded protons. The ¹H NMR results were compared with those obtained by the traditional Wijs-cyclohexane methods. The correlation coefficient between traditional IV and the novel ¹H NMR method was r ²=0.9994 for the regression equation Y=0.9885X + 2.8084, where X was the result given by the traditional method. With the proposed regression equation, IV calculated by the ¹H NMR method was within an error of ± 1 unit of the result obtained by the traditional method. The proposed method is practically viable if one can afford to have the NMR system.     

Comparison of N2O emissions from soils at three temperate agricultural sites: simulations of year-round measurements by four models

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) flux simulations by four models were compared with year-round field measurements from five temperate agricultural sites in three countries. The field sites included an unfertilized, semi-arid rangeland with low N₂O fluxes in eastern Colorado, USA; two fertilizer treatments (urea and nitrate) on a fertilized grass ley cut for silage in Scotland; and two fertilized, cultivated crop fields in Germany where N₂O loss during the winter was quite high. The models used were daily trace gas versions of the CENTURY model, DNDC, ExpertN, and the NASA-Ames version of the CASA model. These models included similar components (soil physics, decomposition, plant growth, and nitrogen transformations), but in some cases used very different algorithms for these processes. All models generated similar results for the general cycling of nitrogen through the agro-ecosystems, but simulated nitrogen trace gas fluxes were quite different. In most cases the simulated N₂O fluxes were within a factor of about 2 of the observed annual fluxes, but even when models produced similar N₂O fluxes they often produced very different estimates of gaseous N loss as nitric oxide (NO), dinitrogen (N₂), and ammonia (NH₃). Accurate simulation of soil moisture appears to be a key requirement for reliable simulation of N₂O emissions. All models simulated the general pattern of low background fluxes with high fluxes following fertilization at the Scottish sites, but they could not (or were not designed to) accurately capture the observed effects of different fertilizer types on N₂O flux. None of the models were able to reliably generate large pulses of N₂O during brief winter thaws that were observed at the two German sites. All models except DNDC simulated very low N₂O fluxes for the dry site in Colorado. The US Trace Gas Network (TRAGNET) has provided a mechanism for this model and site intercomparison. Additional intercomparisons are needed with these and other models and additional data sets; these should include both tropical agro-ecosystems and new agricultural management techniques designed for sustainability.     

2010年上海世博园能源系统规划的研究--能源基础设施的基本规划理念

借鉴日本在世博会能源规划方面的经验和技术数据,对2010年上海世博园能源系统和能源基础设施提出了基本规划理念。根据上海世博会总体规划,对上海世博园区会展期间和后续利用时的最大空调供冷负荷及其分布作了估算,提出了能源中心的3种方案,并对共同沟等能源基础设施的规划作了介绍。