Novel Heneicosadienoic and Tricosadienoic Acid Isomers in Ovaries of Marine Archaeogastropods

To investigate unusual odd-chain fatty acids (FA) from gonads of archaeogastropods, limpets Cellana grata and Cellana toreuma, a subfraction enriched in FA with two double bonds extracted from the gonads was obtained by using argentation thin-layer chromatography. The resulting fraction was analyzed by using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of its methyl esters, 3-pyridylcarbinol esters and pyrrolidide derivatives. Six novel all-cis diene isomers were identified as 7,18-heneicosadienoic (21:2Δ7,18), 8,14-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ8,14), 9,15-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ9,15), 7,18-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ7,18), 9,18-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ9,18), and 9,20-tricosadienoic (23:2Δ9,20) acids. In the present study, the differences in the proportion of tricosadienoic acid isomers between the ovary lipids of C. grata and C. toreuma were recognized.     

Measurement of self-diffusion coefficients in Li ionic conductors by using the short-lived radiotracer of 8Li

For the effective use of short-lived radioactive beams, soon to be available at the Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex, the authors have developed a radiotracer method for diffusion studies in solids. The experimental test was performed by the measurement of the diffusion coefficients of Li in a sample of the compound βLiAl using an α-emitting radiotracer of ⁸Li (T_1/2=0.84 s). It was found that the time-dependent yields of the α particles from the diffusing ⁸Li that was initially implanted in the sample could be used as a measure of the diffusivity of the tracer in a nondestructive way. The method was applied to measure the self-diffusion coefficients of Li in βLiGa, and for investigating how the Li diffusion in the Li ionic conductors is affected by the concentration of atomic defects (i.e., the existence of the atomic vacancies of Li and the defects in Ga sites that are replaced by Li).     

Synthesis of Dense Lead Titanate Ceramics with Submicrometer Grains by Spark Plasma Sintering

Dense PbTiO₃ ceramics consisting of submicrometer-sized grains were prepared using the spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) method. Hydrothermally prepared PbTiO₃ (0.1 μm) was used as a starting powder. The powder was densified to ≳98% of the theoretical X-ray density by the SPS process. The average grain size of the spark-plasma-sintered ceramics (SPS ceramics) was ≲1 μm, even after sintering at 900°–1100°C, because of the short sintering period (1–3 min). The measured permittivity of the SPS ceramics showed almost no frequency dependence over the range 10¹–10⁶ Hz, mainly because pores were absent from the ceramics. The coercive field of the SPS ceramics was somewhat higher than that of conventionally sintered ceramics, which could be attributed to the small-grained microstructures of the SPS ceramics.     

Effect of medium-chain fatty acid positional distribution in dietary triacylglycerol on lymphatic lipid transport and chylomicron composition in rats

The present study was carried out to examine if the positional distribution of medium-chain fatty acid (MCF) in dietary synthetic fat influences lymphatic transport of dietary fat and the chemical composition of chylomicrons in rats with permanent cannulation of thoracic duct. Four types of synthetic triacylglycerol were prepared: (i) sn-1(3) MCF-sn 2 linoleic acid, (ii) interesterified sn-1(3) MCF-sn 2 linoleic acid, (iii) sn-2 MCF-sn-1(3) linoleic acid, and (iv) interesterified sn-2 MCF-sn-1(3) linoleic acid. A purified diet composed of equal amounts of the synthetic fat and cocoa butter was given to rats with permanent lymph duct cannulation. The positional distribution of MCF in the dietary fat had no significant effect on the lymph flow, triacylglycerol output, phospholipid output, lipid composition of chylomicrons, or the particle size. The positional distribution of MCF in the synthetic triacylglycerol was maintained in the chylomicron triacylglycerol. These results showed that MCF in the dietary triacylglycerol is transported into lymphatics and the positional distribution is well preserved in chylomicron triacylglycerol.     

Preparation and Characterization of Superconducting B1-Type Mo1-xNbxN Thin Films

Solid-solution thin films, Mo_1−xNb_xN, with B1 (NaCl) structure have been deposited on substrates at 450°C by reactive sputtering of composite targets with Mo and Nb metals in an equimolar Ar and N₂ gas mixture. The lattice parameter of the solid solution increased linearly with an increase of Nb content, x . The superconducting transition temperature, T _c, of the Mo-rich films ( x ≦ 0.12) was around 6 K, which was lower than that expected from theoretical prediction. The residual resistivity ratio, r =ρ(300 K)/ρ(20 K), of the films varied with x , and a minimum value of r was observed in the vicinity of x = 0.5.     

Differences in Sterol Composition between Male and Female Gonads of Dominant Limpet Species

The present study demonstrated here for the first time that there are statistically significant differences in sterol composition between male and female gonads of the dominant limpets Cellana grata and Cellana toreuma, which are intertidal gastropods. Among 11 different sterols identified in this study, unusually high levels (11.2–19.8% of total sterols) of the Δ⁸-sterols 5α-cholest-8-en-3β-ol (zymostenol) and 5α-cholesta-8,24-dien-3β-ol (zymosterol), which have never been reported in aquatic invertebrate gonads, were present in only the male gonads.     

Characterization of acylmono-, mono-, di-, tri- and tetraglycosylsterol and saponin in Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) seeds

Five sterylglycosides (acylmono-, mono-, di tri- and tetraglycosylsterol) and a saponin were isolated from Adzuki beans and characterized. In the glycosylsterols, the principal component sterols were sitosterol and stigmasterol; the major sugar component was glucose. The glucose units were shown to be linked by β1,6-bonds. The three oligoglycosylsterols were shown to be gentiobiosylsterol, gentiotriosylsterol and gentiotetraosylsterol; the latter two are novel sterylglycosides. The saponin was identified as glucopyranosyl-(β1→2)-glucopyranurosyl-(β1→3′)-soyasapogenol B (Azukisaponin I) which had previously been found in Adzuki beans.     

Effect of Lipase Activity and Specificity on the DAG Content of Olive Oil from the Shodoshima-Produced Olive Fruits

Olive oils have a higher relative diacylglycerol (DAG) content than other plant oils. The lipase in olive fruits is involved in DAG production and is directly related to the acidity of the olive oil. However, the lipase activity and positional selectivity have not been clarified. To investigate the properties of olive fruit lipase, olive fruits of the Mission variety harvested during mid-December of 2005 on Shodoshima Island (Japan) were stored at 20, 30 or 40 °C for 4 weeks. Changes in the acidity and acylglycerol content of the oils extracted from the stored fruits were analyzed. The acidity and DAG content of the olive oils increased due to triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis during storage. sn-1,2-DAGs preferentially increased during the early stages of storage, indicating that the olive fruit lipase is enantioselective for the sn-3 position, while non-enzymatic isomerization of sn-1,2-DAGs was observed throughout the entire duration of storage. Kinetic analysis revealed that the enantioselectivity of olive fruit lipase for the sn-3 position was approximately four times greater than for the sn-1 position. The lipase was gradually inactivated at temperatures of 30 °C or higher, and the ratios of the rate constant for inactivation to TAG hydrolysis at the sn-3 position was 0.2, 13, and 23 at 20, 30, and 40 °C, respectively.     

Synthesis and application of fluorescein- and biotin-labeled molecular probes for the chemokine receptor CXCR4

The design, synthesis, and bioevaluation of fluorescence- and biotin-labeled CXCR4 antagonists are described. The modification of D-Lys8 at an epsilon-amino group in the peptide antagonist Ac-TZ14011 derived from polyphemusin II had no significant influence on the potent binding of the peptide to the CXCR4 receptor. The application of the labeled peptides in flow cytometry and confocal microscopy studies demonstrated the selectivity of their binding to the CXCR4 receptor, but not to CXCR7, which was recently reported to be another receptor for stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12.     

TIG电弧活性化焊接现象和机理研究(3)--活性化TIG焊接中的熔池表面张力测定

利用熔池振荡及熔池谐振信号的检测,以熔池自身固有振荡频率与熔池尺寸的内在关系测定熔池金属表面张力,研究了薄板ＳＵＳ３０４不锈钢ＴＩＧ焊不同熔池尺寸的表面张力变化以及活性剂对熔池表面张力的影响。实验研究方法为焊接熔池表面张力测定中的最初应用。