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.     

Densification and Cell Performance of Gadolinium-Doped Ceria (GDC) Electrolyte/NiO–GDC Anode Laminates

A thin film (60 μm thick) of a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte was prepared by the doctor blade method. This film was laminated with freeze-dried 42 vol% NiO–58 vol% GDC mixed powder and pressed uniaxially or isostatically under a pressure of 294 MPa. This laminate was cosintered at 1100 °–1500 °C in air for 4–12 h. The laminate warped because of the difference in the shrinkage of the electrolyte and electrode during the sintering. A higher shrinkage was measured for the electrode at 1100 °–1200 °C and for the electrolyte at 1300 °–1500 °C. The increase of the thickness of anode was effective in decreasing the warp and in increasing the density of the laminated composite. The maximum electric power density with a SrRuO₃ cathode using 3 vol% H₂O-containing H₂ fuel was 100 mW/cm² at 600 °C and 380 mW/cm² at 800 °C, respectively, for the anode-supported GDC electrolyte with 30 μm thickness.     

Nanogrinding of multi-layered thin film amorphous Si solar panels

Nanogrinding was performed on the cross-sections of amorphous Si thin film solar panels, which are nanoscale multi-layer structures consisting of hard and brittle materials. The deformed structures of the panel cross-sectional surfaces after grinding were investigated using electron and atomic force microscopy. The nanogrinding results were compared with those obtained from polishing and nanoscratching, demonstrating that the three processes had produced consistent surface characteristics. Though nanogrinding produced nanometric surface roughness with ductile material removal, but could cause cracking, edge chipping and delamination at thin film interfaces. The results of this work are of value for developing the efficient machining process for thin film solar panels and other brittle multi-layer materials.     

Application of spline wavelet transformation to the analysis of extended energy-loss fine structure

We propose a new analysis method of the extended energy-loss fine structure (EXELFS), applying the multi-resolution analysis (MRA) in the wavelet transformation. We select the cardinal spline wavelet where the rank-4 cardinal spline function is used as a scaling function to construct the mother wavelet. In contrast with the conventional analysis method, the present method is efficient in filtering out the high-frequency noise and low-frequency components introduced by the numerical analysis process without distorting the original signal components, which promises quantitative analyses with less uncertainties.     

Evaluation of a smoking cessation program implemented in the workplace

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain due to complicated Meckel's diverticulum is an unusual event. Even the presence of biliary enterolithiasis at the onset of inflamed congenital diverticulum has rarely been reported previously. RESULTS: Despite this unusual presentation, an episode of gallstone passage through the biliary tract has not yet been described. CONCLUSIONS: Whether the stones were primarily formed in the diverticulum as enterolithiasis, or secondary to gallstone passage is discussed. The complications of Meckel's diverticulum requiring surgical treatment are reviewed, focusing on the unusual finding of biliary stones in Meckel's diverticulum and the etiogenic mechanism of enterolithiasis.     

Giant room-temperature magnetoresistance in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions

The tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is the key to developing magnetoresistive random-access-memory (MRAM), magnetic sensors and novel programmable logic devices. Conventional MTJs with an amorphous aluminium oxide tunnel barrier, which have been extensively studied for device applications, exhibit a magnetoresistance ratio up to 70% at room temperature. This low magnetoresistance seriously limits the feasibility of spintronics devices. Here, we report a giant MR ratio up to 180% at room temperature in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe MTJs. The origin of this enormous TMR effect is coherent spin-polarized tunnelling, where the symmetry of electron wave functions plays an important role. Moreover, we observed that their tunnel magnetoresistance oscillates as a function of tunnel barrier thickness, indicating that coherency of wave functions is conserved across the tunnel barrier. The coherent TMR effect is a key to making spintronic devices with novel quantum-mechanical functions, and to developing gigabit-scale MRAM.     

Cooking up an interactive olfactory game display.

It's long been possible to give users outside an actual environment that environment's visual and auditory information and thus contribute to establishing presence. However, we've yet to establish much presence when users require olfactory information - such as in environments focused on foods, flowers, perfumes, or, in some cases, more offensive smells. Recently, several VR researchers have become interested in olfaction and olfactory displays that present smells in virtual environments (VEs). In this article, we describe our interactive olfactory display. One of our development goals is to confirm the assumption that users' interactions with the system increases presence. Thus, we used our interactive olfactory display to develop a cooking game in collaboration with electronic engineers and artists.     

Heterogeneity of DNA ploidy pattern in carcinoma of the gallbladder: primary and metastatic sites

There are few detailed reports on the heterogeneity of the nuclear DNA ploidy pattern in carcinoma of the gallbladder. We studied twelve autopsied cases who died of extended gallbladder carcinoma. Multiple samples were taken from the primary site (Pri), from direct invasion of the liver (Hinf), from hematogenous metastasis to the liver (H), from lymphatic metastasis (LN) and from peritoneal dissemination (P). The DNA ploidy pattern was investigated by image cytometry. Heterogeneity of the DNA ploidy pattern in Pri, Hinf, H, LN and P was found in 7/11, 2/10, 5/10, 2/6 and 3/6 cases, respectively. Aneuploidy was more frequently found in Hinf than at the Pri. The DNA index of Hinf was significantly higher than that of Pri. Several stemlines, with different quantities of DNA, were found in Pri. Most of these stemlines were also observed in other sites. These facts may suggest that polyclonal cancer cells rather than one cancer cell or monoclonal cancer cells of a Pri metastasize or infiltrate, and that various polyclonal cancer cells proliferate to different degrees under different circumstances.     

Retraction Note: Relationship between water content,shear deformation,and elastic wave velocity through unsaturated soil slope

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment -