Production of eicosapentaenoic acid by a bacterium isolated from mackerel intestines

Optimization of culture conditions for the growth rate, 5,8,11,14,17-cis-Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content and EPA productivity of a bacterium isolated from Pacific mackerel intestines was investigated by use of a culture medium containing 1.00 wt% peptone and 0.50 wt% yeast extract in an artificial sea water (ASW). Cultivation temperature affected the growth rate and cellular EPA content of the bacterium. The cellular EPA content at 8°C was as great as 16.8 mg/g of dry cells, which was more than two times greater than that at 25°C (7.3 mg/g of dry cells), although the growth rate showed a maximum at 25°C. Both the yield of bacterial cells and the cellular EPA content at 25°C reached maximum values when the pH of the culture medium was nearly 7.0 and when the concentration of ASW was 100% (v/v). Under optimum culture conditions [25°C pH 7.0 and 100% (v/v) ASW], the amount of EPA accumulated in the cellular lipids reached 45.6 mg/L of culture broth after 8 hr.     

Effects of spacer-chain length on the photoelectrochemical responses of monolayer assemblies with ruthenium tris(2,2′-bipyridine) - viologen linked disulfides

Photochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of ruthenium tris(2,2′-bipyridine) (Ru²⁺)-viologen (V²⁺) linked disulfides [RuCnVC₆S]₂ (n (number of methylene groups)=3, 7) with different spacer-chain lengths and Ru²⁺ disulfides [RuC_mS]₂ (m=13, 17) were compared. The luminescence intensity in CH₃CN was in the order of [RuC₁₃S]₂≈[RuC₁₇S]₂>[RuC₇VC₆S]₂[RuC₃VC₆S]₂, implying efficient photoinduced electron-transfer between Ru²⁺ and V²⁺ moieties in the linked compounds. The monolayer assembly of the compound was fabricated on a gold surface. In the presence of triethanolamine, the anodic photocurrent was clearly observed from the RuC_nVC₆S/Au (n=3, 7) electrode (gold electrode modified with [RuCnVC₆S]₂), and its intensity was substantially larger for n=7 than for n=3. Photocurrent action spectra for the RuC_nVC₆S/Au (n=3, 7) electrodes were well correlated with the corresponding electronic absorption spectra in solution. The photocurrent from the RuC₇VC₆S/Au electrode was reduced more effectively by the coexistence of a water-soluble viologen as compared with the RuC₃VC₆S/Au electrode. The photocurrent from the RuC_mS/Au (m=13, 17) electrode was very small. The results suggest that the spacer-chain length between the Ru²⁺ and the V²⁺ moieties profoundly affects the Ru²⁺-sensitized photocurrent.     

Influence of temperature on growth of Legionella pneumophila biofilm determined by precise temperature gradient incubator

Bacterial growth is influenced by several different culture conditions. Temperature is one of an essential component which regulates bacterial growth and their morphology. The influence of temperature on the length of bacteria was investigated in broth and on agar in a temperature range from 30.0 degrees C to 47.0 degrees C in 0.5 degrees C steps using a newly developed temperature gradient incubator. The incubator is able to reach a set temperature within 2 h and maintain temperature as accurate as +/-0.1 degrees C of the set temperature. Three Legionella pneumophila serotype 1 strains were incubated for 48 h in BCYE-alpha agar at various temperatures ranging from 30.0 degrees C to 48.0 degrees C and length of bacteria grown at each temperature was microscopically measured. Ability of bacteria to multiply at a given temperature was also determined. L. pneumophila serotype 1 strains ATCC 33152, a clinical isolate Okinawa 02-001 were going to elongate to longer than 100 mum when cultured higher than at 39.5 degrees C and at 41.5 degrees C, respectively. Each strain was unable to multiply when cultured higher than at 44.2 degrees C (ATCC 33152) or at 44.0 degrees C (Okinawa 02-001). Those data would provide insights for establishing regulations in terms of maintaining hot water temperature in a facility where a circulating hot water supply-system is available and contamination with Legionella spp. is likely to happen.     

Electrophoretic cell manipulation and electrochemical gene-function analysis based on a yeast two-hybrid system in a microfluidic device

A novel microfluidic device with an array of analytical chambers was developed in order to perform single-cell-based gene-function analysis. A series of analytical processes was carried out using the device, including electrophoretic manipulation of single cells and electrochemical measurement of gene function. A poly(dimethylsiloxane) microstructure with a microfluidic channel (150 microm in width, 10 microm in height) and an analytical chamber (100 x 20 x 10 microm (3)) were fabricated and aligned on a glass substrate with an array of Au microelectrodes. Two microelectrodes positioned in the analytical chamber were employed as a working electrode for the electrophoretic manipulation of cells and electrochemical measurements. A yeast strain ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y190) carrying the beta-galactosidase reporter gene was used to demonstrate that the device could detect the enzyme. Target cells flowing through the main channel were introduced into the chamber by electrophoresis using the ground electrode laid on the main channel. When the cell was treated with 17beta-estradiol, gene expression was triggered to produce beta-galactosidase, catalyzing the hydrolysis of p-aminophenyl-beta- D-galactopyranoside to form p-aminophenol (PAP). The enzymatically generated PAP was detected by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry at the single-cell level in the chamber of the device. Generator-collector mode amperometry was also applied to amplify the current response originating from gene expression in the trapped single cells. After electrochemical measurement, the trapped cells were easily released from the chamber using electrophoretic force.     

A theory of tie‐set graph and its application to information network management

This paper presents a new circuit theoretical concept based on the principal partition theorem for distributed network management focusing on loops of an information network. To realize a simple network management with the minimum number of local agents, namely the topological degrees of freedom of a graph, a reduced loop agent graph generated by contracting the minimal principal minor is proposed. To investigate the optimal distribution of the loop agents, a theory of tie‐set graph is proposed. Considering the total processing load of loop agents, a complexity of a tie‐set graph is introduced to obtain the simplest tie‐set graph with the minimum complexity. As for the simplest tie‐set graph search, an experimental result shows that the computational time depends heavily on the nullity of the original graph. Therefore, a tie‐set graph with the smallest nullity is essential for network management. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanism of photoconductivity gain and persistent photoconductivity for diamond photodetector

Photoconductivity gain (PG) and persistent photoconductivity (PPC) properties observed in diamond photodetector are theoretically explained by solving rate equations which describe capture and emission processes of photo-generated hole and electron through a boron acceptor and a hole trap in a diamond epilayer and a nitrogen donor in a diamond substrate. Formation of one-sided pn-junction between the epilayer and substrate and slow hole capture rate of acceptor and hole trap levels provide accumulation of photo-generated hole in the epilayer, which produces the PG larger than the ideal responsivity. The PPC current after turning off the deep ultraviolet light is interpreted as due to the slow hole capture rate of the acceptor and trap levels.     

Fabrication and electrical properties of SrTiO3/diamond junctions

Strontium titanate (STO) films were directly deposited on Ib (100) single crystal diamond by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited STO film was in amorphous state. On the other hand, the crystalline STO film was obtained under the optimized condition of a deposition temperature of 250 °C and a post-annealing temperature of 650 °C. STO/diamond junctions were fabricated on boron-doped homoepitaxial layers grown on p⁺-type single crystal diamond substrates. Electrical properties of the STO/diamond junction were investigated by changing the surface terminations of diamond with hydrogen or oxygen and the crystallinity of the STO film. It was found that the amorphous STO acted like a semi-insulator on H-diamond surface and that the amorphous STO/O-diamond junction behaved like a Schottky diode. The crystalline STO/O-diamond showed a complex rectifying behavior. The crystalline STO film possessed a higher dielectric constant as compared to that of the amorphous one.