Sterols,methylsterols, and triterpene alcohols in threeTheaceae and some other vegetable oils

The unsaponifiables from threeTheaceae (Camellia japonica L.,Camellia Sasanqua Thunb., andThea sinensis L.) oils and alfalfa, garden balsam, and spinach seed oils and shea fat were separated into four fractions: sterols, 4-methylsterols, triterpene alcohols, and less polar compounds by thin layer chromatography. While the sterol fraction was the major one for the unsaponifiables from alfalfa and spinach seed oils, the triterpene alcohol fraction was predominant for the unsaponifiables from all other oils. The sterol, 4-methylsterol, and triterpene alcohol fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography. All the sterol fractions were alike in their compositions, consisting exclusively of Δ⁷-sterols, such as α-spinasterol and Δ⁷-stigmastenol as predominant components together with Δ⁷-avenasterol and 24-methylcholest-7-enol. Obtusifoliol, gramisterol (occasionally accompanied with cycloeucalenol), and citrostadienol, together with several other unidentified components, were found in the 4-methylsterol fractions from all of the oils except shea fat. The 4-methylsterol fraction from shea fat showed a characteristic composition containing a large proportion of unidentified components which had relative retention time greater than that of citrostadienol, while no citrostadienol was detected. β-Amyrin, lupeol, and butyospermol were major components of the triterpene alcohol fractions from most of the oils, but the fraction from spinach seed oil contained cycloartenol and 24-methylene-cycloartanol as predominant components. There is a close similarity in the compositions of unsaponifiables (sterols, 4-methylsterols, and triterpene alcohols) of the threeTheaceae oils. Two sterols, α-spinasterol and Δ⁷-stigmastenol, and five triterpene alcohols were isolated from tea seed oil. Moreover, five unidentified components beside parkeol, butyrospermol, α-amyrin, and lupeol were isolated from the triterpene alcohol fraction of shea fat.     

The Association of Cholesterol Uptake and Synthesis with Histology and Genotype in Cortisol-Producing Adenoma (CPA)

Cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) is composed of clear and compact cells. Clear cells are lipid abundant, and compact ones lipid poor but associated with higher production of steroid hormones. PRKACA mutation (PRKACA mt) in CPA patients was reported to be associated with more pronounced clinical manifestation of Cushing’s syndrome. In this study, we examined the association of histological features and genotypes with cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes in 40 CPA cases, and with the quantitative results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis in 33 cases to explore their biological and clinical significance. Both cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes were more abundant in compact cells. GC-MS analysis demonstrated that the percentage of compact cells was inversely correlated with the concentrations of cholesterol and cholesterol esters, and positively with the activity of cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters. In addition, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which catalyzes cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters, tended to be more abundant in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPAs. These results demonstrated that both cholesterol uptake and biosynthesis were more pronounced in compact cells in CPA. In addition, more pronounced HSL expression in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPA could contribute to their more pronounced clinical manifestation.     

The Expression of Active CD11b Monocytes in Blood and Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Monocytes expressing the inflammation suppressing active CD11b, a beta2 integrin, may regulate neuroinflammation and modify clinical outcomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this single site, retrospective study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 38 individuals living with ALS and 20 non-neurological controls (NNC) were investigated using flow cytometry to study active CD11b integrin classical (CM), intermediate (IM) and non-classical (NCM) monocytes during ALS progression. Seventeen ALS participants were sampled at the baseline (V1) and at two additional time points (V2 and V3) for longitudinal analysis. Active CD11b+ CM frequencies increased steeply between the baseline and V3 (ANOVA repeated measurement, p < 0.001), and the V2/V1 ratio negatively correlated with the disease progression rate, similar to higher frequencies of active CD11b+ NCM at the baseline (R = −0.6567; p = 0.0031 and R = 0.3862; p = 0.0168, respectively). CD11b NCM, clinical covariates and neurofilament light-chain plasma concentration at the baseline predicted shorter survival in a multivariable and univariate analysis (CD11b NCM—HR: 1.05, CI: 1.01–1.11, p = 0.013. Log rank: above median: 43 months and below median: 21.22 months; p = 0.0022). Blood samples with the highest frequencies of active CD11b+ IM and NCM contained the lowest concentrations of soluble CD11b. Our preliminary data suggest that the levels of active CD11b+ monocytes and NCM in the blood predict different clinical outcomes in ALS.     

Design and manufacturing of JT-60SA vacuum vessel

JT-60 is planned to be upgraded to JT-60SA tokamak machine with fully superconducting coils, which is a project of the JA-EU satellite tokamak program under both Broader Approach program and Japanese domestic program. The JT-60SA vacuum vessel (VV) has a D-shape poloidal cross section and a toroidal configuration with 10° facet segmented in toroidal direction. The material of the VV is 316L stainless steel with low cobalt content of <0.05 wt%. A double wall structure is adopted for the VV to ensure high rigidity and high toroidal one-turn resistance simultaneously.Fundamental welding R&D and a trial manufacturing of the 20° upper half of the VV have been performed to study the manufacturing procedure. After the confirmation of the quality of the mock-up, manufacturing of the actual VV started in November 2009.     

Prediction of Aging Characteristics in Natural Rubber Bearings Used in Bridges

Rubber bearings used in bridges are exposed to the air and easily attacked by oxygen, even at room temperature, and heat, light, dynamic strain, and liquids. It is usually known that the degradation of polymers often occurs as a nonuniform or heterogeneous process because aged rubber will prevent deterioration from progressing into the inner rubber bearing. Thermal oxidation tests were carried out on natural rubber (NR) blocks at different elevated temperatures using the modulus profiling method. The development of the heterogeneous property profiles in aged rubber bearings is revealed. The NR blocks display the features of a diffusion-limited oxidation and the properties change most significantly at the surface. However, in the interior region beyond the critical depth, NR does not change. The property variations at the block surface and the interior are quantitatively examined, based on which, the relations are clarified among property variation, temperature, aging time, and relative position inside a rubber bearing. An appropriate aging model is established, which is able to predict the aging characteristics in NR bearing.     

Simplified method for determining cadmium concentrations in rice foliage and soil by using a biosensor kit with immunochromatography

BACKGROUND: The behavior of cadmium in ecosystems needs to be monitored because of the human toxicity of this heavy metal. The need recently arose for a simple and quick on‐site test for trace levels of Cd in food and environmental samples. In response, an immunochromatographic assay kit for detecting Cd was manufactured by Kansai Electric Power Co. of Japan. This kit uses the antigen–antibody complex reaction between the Cd–EDTA complex and an anti‐Cd–EDTA antibody and shows the results in terms of the degree of color developed on a test paper. We previously reported the successful use of this kit to determine Cd concentrations in brown rice. Here, we applied the kit to the determination of Cd concentrations in rice foliage and soil. RESULTS: Cadmium in rice foliage was not extracted successfully by the method used for brown rice. However, it was successfully extracted by 0.1 mol L^?1 HCl solution at a rice foliage:HCl ratio of 1:20, and coexisting metals were removed sufficiently by the column treatment. The Cd concentrations determined by immunochromatographic assay were well correlated with the values obtained by acid decomposition and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The 0.1 mol L^?1 HCl‐extractable Cd concentration in soil was also determined successfully with the kit. CONCLUSION: Approximate Cd concentrations in rice plants and 0.1 mol L^?1 HCl‐extractable Cd concentrations in soil can be monitored easily and quickly by this method at locations where facilities for acid digestion and precision analysis are not available. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of Hardening Using the Sol Fraction of Gelatin Films (Review)

The low molecular weight component of gelatin has been investigated by determination of the molecular weight distribution of the sol fraction from hardened gelatin films. The hardeners used were formaldehyde and mucochloric acid. Different hardening conditions and gelatin types were studied. It was observed that a couple of weeks were needed to reach a stable level of hardening. Acid- processed gelatins exhibited higher reactivity than lime-processed gelatins. The results indicate that the method seems to be effective as an evaluation of gelatin hardening.     

Proposal of Design Criteria for Gas Entrainment from Vortex Dimples Based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics Method

Design criteria for gas entrainments (GE) from the liquid surface in a fast breeder reactor system were proposed in this paper for the two types of GE phenomena from a vortex dimple based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The first gas entrainment phenomenon is a gas core extension directly to the outlet piping level, which induces large amount of GE to the flow system. The second is continuous bubble detachments from the tip of the vortex dimple. Based on CFD calculations for elemental experiments of the surface vortex, local CFD non-dimensional numbers were defined as the design criteria to prevent GE. In conclusion, it was found that the CFD non-dimensional numbers are useful for the design parameters of GE prevention.     

Preparation of surfactant-free vinyl polymers by conventional emulsion polymerization using hydrolysable emulsifiers

Emulsion polymerizations of several vinyl monomers, styrene, methyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, and vinyl acetate, in water using alkali–hydrolysable cationic surfactants with a betaine ester group (1-alkoxycarbonylmethyl)trimethylammonium chlorides, as emulsifiers were carried out and properties of the resulting latices and the polymers recovered by hydrolysis and salting out were investigated. There were little influences of the surfactants and monomers used here on the polymerizations, forming stable and monodisperse latices with a mean diameter of ca. 70 nm and giving a high molecular weight of polymers at high yields. All polymers were precipitated and recovered by adding a small amount of sodium hydroxide into the latex solutions contained little amount of ionic species. Solvent-cast films of the polymers were found to have surfaces as hydrophobic as those for the corresponding pure polymers prepared by bulk polymerization.     

A PAM control method for a matrix converter based on a virtual AC/DC/AC conversion method

In this paper, a novel control method for a matrix converter is proposed. The proposed method is a PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) control method based on a virtual AC/DC/AC conversion method. Output voltage amplitude is controlled by controlling a virtual DC link voltage with a virtual rectifier. Output frequency is controlled by a virtual inverter. First, the proposed method is explained. Next, the validity of the proposed method is confirmed through simulation and experiment using a 750‐W prototype matrix converter. Moreover, various characteristics of the proposed method and conventional virtual AC/DC/AC method are compared through experiment. As a result of the experiment, it has been understood that total harmonic distortion of output current and common‐mode voltage can be reduced compared with the case of using a conventional virtual AC/DC/AC conversion method. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(4): 88–96, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience. wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20601