Identification of the odour-active aldehyde trans-4,5-epoxy-(E,Z)-2,7-decadienal in yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka)

Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka) is a variety of sour citrus fruit that is popular in Japan. In this study, we investigated its aroma, which many people, especially in Japan, find appealing. Aroma extract dilution analysis was used to screen the odour-active compounds in the yuzu volatile oil. An unknown odorant with an albedo-like odour and a high flavour-dilution factor was detected. To identify this odorant, it was separated via flash column chromatography on silica gel and then fractionated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography on a reverse-phase column. The volatile fraction, which contained a significant amount of the target unknown compound, was analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–olfactometry to determine its mass spectrum, retention index, and odour quality. By comparing the resultant data with that of a synthesised authentic reference compound, it was evident that the unknown odorant was trans-4,5-epoxy-(E,Z)-2,7-decadienal (3); this is the first time that it has been identified as an odour-active unsaturated aldehyde in yuzu volatile oil. From the results of a model formation experiment, we propose that trans-4,5-epoxy-(E,Z)-2,7-decadienal originates from α-linolenic acid via 13(S)-hydroperoxy-(Z,E,Z)-9,11,15-octadecatrienoic acid (13(S)-HPOT), which is a lipoxygenase-induced oxidation product of α-linolenic acid.     

RF transmitter using the dual‐pulse position modulation method for low‐power smart micro‐sensing chip

This paper presents a low‐power radio frequency (RF) transmitter using dual‐pulse position modulation (DPPM) for a smart micro‐sensing chip (SMSC) with sensors and large scale integrated circuit (LSI) on the same chip. The DPPM method is presented by a fixed pulse and a variable pulse within the same time frame. The distance between the fixed pulse and the variable pulse describes the amplitude of the input signal. A modulator and a ring oscillator were designed for the RF transmitter using the DPPM method. In the modulator, the pulse width modulation (PWM) signal is generated by the intersective method, and narrow pulses are extracted at the rising and falling positions of the generated PWM signal. The designed oscillator has the function of an oscillation controller. The RF transmitter was fabricated with sensors for an SMSC by complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The power consumption of the fabricated modulator was 4.5 mW. The power consumption of the proposed RF transmitter was measured as 7.0–7.3 mW at an input signal of 0.8–2.5 V. The RF transmitter using the DPPM method was able to reduce the power consumption by a maximum of 50.3% compared to a transmitter using the PWM method, because in the latter the dissipated power was 8.4–14.5 mW at the same input signal. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A green battery by pot‐plant power

When a metal electrode is inserted into a part of a plant, and another metal electrode is placed in the soil, an electrical potential difference is generated between the two electrodes. The plant has a lower potential than the soil. The generated voltage from the electrical potential difference between one plant and the adjacent soil is small (several hundred millivolts), and the current is extremely low (several hundred nanoamperes). However, in order to boot up some electrical circuits, the voltage and current need to be in the volt and microampere order, respectively. If the electrical potential difference between one plant and the soil is used as a power supply, it is necessary to develop a nanoscale electrical device that can work with extremely low wattage. Here we report a novel green battery composed of 10 pot plants by serial–parallel connections. The developed battery could generate almost 3 V and 3 µA to drive electric devices. We designed an LED blinking circuit composed of discrete semiconductor parts, which was driven by the generated plant power, and confirmed its performance through the experiments. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Trop2 Expression in Extramammary Paget’s Disease and Normal Skin

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare skin cancer arising in the apocrine gland-rich areas. Most EMPD tumors are dormant, but metastatic lesions are associated with poor outcomes owing to the lack of effective systemic therapies. Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2), a surface glycoprotein, has drawn attention as a potential therapeutic target for solid tumors. Sacituzumab govitecan, an antibody–drug conjugate of Trop2, has recently entered clinical use for the treatment of various solid cancers. However, little is known about the role of Trop2 in EMPD. In this study, we immunohistochemically examined Trop2 expression in 116 EMPD tissue samples and 10 normal skin tissues. In normal skin, Trop2 was expressed in the epidermal keratinocytes, inner root sheaths, and infundibulum/isthmus epithelium of hair follicles, eccrine/apocrine glands, and sebaceous glands. Most EMPD tissues exhibited homogeneous and strong Trop2 expression, and high Trop2 expression was significantly associated with worse disease-free survival (p = 0.0343). These results suggest the potential use of Trop2-targeted therapy for EMPD and improve our understanding of the skin-related adverse effects of current Trop2-targeted therapies such as sacituzumab govitecan.     

Determination of the surface band bending in InxGa1−xN films by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

Core-level and valence band spectra of In_xGa_1−xN films were measured using hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HX-PES). Fine structure, caused by the coupling of the localized Ga 3d and In 4d with N 2s states, was experimentally observed in the films. Because of the large detection depth of HX-PES (∼20 nm), the spectra contain both surface and bulk information due to the surface band bending. The In_xGa_1−xN films (x = 0–0.21) exhibited upward surface band bending, and the valence band maximum was shifted to lower binding energy when the mole fraction of InN was increased. On the other hand, downward surface band bending was confirmed for an InN film with low carrier density despite its n-type conduction. Although the Fermi level (E_F) near the surface of the InN film was detected inside the conduction band as reported previously, it can be concluded that E_F in the bulk of the film must be located in the band gap below the conduction band minimum.     

The Effects of Thermoelectric Film Thickness on Performance of In-Plane Thermoelectric Modules

We fabricated in-plane thermoelectric modules (4?mm?×?4?mm) on a 4-??m-thick substrate using a vacuum deposition process through a shadow mask. In this study, a thermoelectric p?Cn pair was established using multilayered films of p and n thermoelectric thin films and an insulator film with a hole at the center. The output power was 58?nW at 443?K using the multilayered microgenerator. We discuss the effects of device thickness on the efficiency of the microgenerator to increase the output electric power. We evaluated the output power of the in-plane thermoelectric generator with a substrate using a one-dimensional heat conduction model, and it was found to depend on the thickness of the thermoelectric film. If the thermoelectric film is very thin, the power factor is more important than the nondimensional figure of merit, ZT. Metal thin films with high power factor are more efficient than semiconductors with low power factors even though their thermal conductivities are high. When the thermoelectric thin film is thick, ZT should be higher for larger output power of the device.     

Molecular Species of Phospholipids with Very Long Chain Fatty Acids in Skin Fibroblasts of Zellweger Syndrome

The ratio of C_26:0/C_22:0 fatty acids in patient lipids is widely accepted as a critical clinical criterion of peroxisomal diseases, such as Zellweger syndrome and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). However, phospholipid molecular species with very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) have not been precisely characterized. In the present study, the structures of such molecules in fibroblasts of Zellweger syndrome and X-ALD were examined using LC–ESI–MS/MS analysis. In fibroblasts from Zellweger patients, a large number of VLCFA-containing molecular species were detected in several phospholipid classes as well as neutral lipids, including triacylglycerol and cholesteryl esters. Among these lipids, phosphatidylcholine showed the most diversity in the structures of VLCFA-containing molecular species. Some VLCFA possessed longer carbon chains and/or larger number of double bonds than C_26:0-fatty acid (FA). Similar VLCFA were also found in other phospholipid classes, such as phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. In addition, VLCFA-containing phospholipid species showed some differences among fibroblasts from Zellweger patients. It appears that phospholipids with VLCFA, with or without double bonds, as well as C_26:0-FA might affect cellular functions, thus leading to the pathogenesis of peroxisomal diseases, such as Zellweger syndrome and X-ALD.     

Comparison of Osteogenic Potentials of Dental Pulp and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using the New Cell Transplantation Platform,CellSaic, in a Rat Congenital Cleft-Jaw Model

Scaffolds stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation and play major roles in providing growth and nutrition factors in the repair of bone defects. We used the recombinant peptide Cellnest™ to prepare the three-dimensional stem cell complex, CellSaic, and evaluated whether CellSaic containing rat dental pulp stem cells (rDPSCs) was better than that containing rat bone marrow stem cells (rBMSCs). rDPSC-CellSaic or rBMSC-CellSaic, cultured with or without osteogenic induction medium, formed the experimental and control groups, respectively. Osteoblast differentiation was evaluated in vitro and transplanted into a rat model with a congenital jaw fracture. Specimens were collected and evaluated by microradiology and histological analysis. In the experimental group, the amount of calcium deposits, expression levels of bone-related genes (RUNX2, ALP, BSP, and COL1), and volume of mineralized tissue, were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Both differentiated and undifferentiated rDPSC-CellSaic and only the differentiated rBMSC-CellSaic could induce the formation of new bone tissue. Overall, rBMSC-CellSaic and rDPSC-CellSaic made with Cellnest™ as a scaffold, provide excellent support for promoting bone regeneration in rat mandibular congenital defects. Additionally, rDPSC-CellSaic seems a better source for craniofacial bone defect repair than rBMSC-CellSaic, suggesting the possibility of using DPSCs in bone tissue regenerative therapy.