A study of the relationships governing starting rolling friction

In this study the behaviour of the small displacement of starting rolling friction in the rolling contact between a flat surface and rollers is investigated and a rolling friction force-displacement relationship in the region of the starting rolling displacement is proposed by using the fact that the area of the hysteresis loop increases linearly with the nth power of the rolling friction.Furthermore, the behaviour of the hysteresis loop at the rolling contact surface has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. It was found that the area of the hysteresis loop increases linearly with the second power of the rolling distance in the region of a starting rolling displacement.     

Astrocytes containing amyloid beta-protein (Abeta)-positive granules are associated with Abeta40-positive diffuse plaques in the aged human brain

Amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is the major component of senile plaques that emerge in the cortex during aging and appear most abundantly in Alzheimer's disease. In the course of our immunocytochemical study on a large number of autopsy cases, we noticed, in many aged nondemented cases, the presence of unique diffuse plaques in the cortex distinct from ordinary diffuse plaques by immunocytochemistry. The former were amorphous, very faintly Abeta-immunoreactive plaques resembling diffuse plaques, but they stained for Abeta40 and were associated with small cells containing Abeta-positive granules. A panel of amino- and carboxyl-terminal-specific Abeta antibodies showed that such Abeta40-positive diffuse plaques and cell-associated granules were composed exclusively of amino-terminally deleted Abeta terminating at Abeta40, -42, and -43. Double immunostaining also showed that those Abeta-immunoreactive granules are located in astrocytes and not in microglia or neurons. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that nonfibrillar Abeta immunoreactivity was located within lipofuscin-like granules in somewhat swollen astrocytes. These findings raise the possibility that astrocytes take up Abeta and attempt to degrade it in lysosomes in the aged brain.     

Tau in paired helical filaments is functionally distinct from fetal tau: assembly incompetence of paired helical filament-tau

tau in paired helical filaments (PHF-tau) and fetal tau share several phosphorylated epitopes, as revealed by several phosphorylation-dependent PHF monoclonals. We have asked whether there is any difference between the two molecules in tubulin assembly-promoting activity and found that PHF-tau is almost assembly incompetent, whereas fetal tau is low in this activity but still assembly competent. This indicates that despite substantial similarities in immunoreactivities, PHF-tau and fetal tau are quite distinct from each other in function.     

Molecular shape selectivity through multiple carbonyl-pi interactions with noncrystalline solid phase for RP-HPLC

A new approach for the synthesis of double-alkylated L-glutamide-derived stationary phases to use in RP-HPLC is described. TEM observation of lipid distearylglutamide (DSG) showed the formation of fibrous aggregates in methanol or in chloroform through intermolecular hydrogen bonding among the amide moieties while dibutylglutamide (DBG) cannot aggregate in aqueous or organic media due to its lower order of short alkyl chain. DSG and DBG were covalently bonded to silica via amino-propyl linkages. Lipid membrane analogues (e.g., DSG) attached to the silica surface have been found in noncrystalline and solid states and can form supramolecular assemblies with specific properties based on their highly ordered structures in aqueous and organic media. 13C CP/MAS NMR and suspension (in methanol)-state 1H NMR, elemental analysis, and DSC measurements were used to characterize Sil-DSG and were compared with the three other octadecyl phases, i.e., monomeric C18, polymeric C18, and silica grafted poly(octadecyl acrylate) Sil-ODA25. The chromatographic behavior of the new RP material was investigated using detailed retention studies of planar and nonplanar polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nonpolar aromatic positional isomers. Aspects of shape selectivity were also evaluated with Standard Reference Materials 869a, Column Selectivity Test Mixture for Liquid Chromatography. Detailed chromatographic study revealed that Sil-DSG showed extremely enhanced molecular shape selectivity compared with the other phases investigated. The higher molecular shape selectivity obtained by Sil-DSG can be explained by a carbonyl pi (present in lipid-grafted stationary phases)-benzene pi (present in guest PAHs) interaction mechanism, and these interactions are more effective for ordered carbonyl groups.     

Surface charge controlled magnetic nanoparticles with grafting of poly(4-vinylpyridine)

Poly(4-vinylpyridine)-grafted magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by the "graft to" method. Surface-modified magnetic particles are covered with a hydrophobic layer because it can be dispersed in organic solvents such as methanol, toluene, benzene, and chloroform, but not in water. Surface charge control with magnetic nanoparticles of various isoelectric point was achieved by quaternization of pyridyl groups, and the positively charged particles can be dispersed in water within a wide range of pH.     

Prediction of carcass composition and individual carcass cuts of Japanese Black steers

The objective of this study was to develop equations to predict carcass tissue weights and percentages and boneless carcass non-trimmed cut weights by using the cold carcass weight (CCW) and three other traits at the 6–7th rib section, which are routinely collected in carcass markets in Japan. Carcasses from 94 Japanese Black steers were used for the multiple regression analysis with a stepwise procedure and a novel Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). The accuracies of prediction (R²) and RMSEs for the carcass tissue and cut weights were similar between the two procedures. In contrast, LASSO appeared to be the better procedure for predicting carcass tissue percentages. The longissimus muscle area and subcutaneous fat thickness were the important predictors for the lean percentage in the stepwise procedure, and CCW was additionally selected when the LASSO procedure was used.     

Diversity of 16S ribosomal DNA-defined bacterial population in acid rock drainage from Japanese pyrite mine

Four acidophilic bacteria (YARDs1-4) were isolated from an acid rock drainage (ARD) from Yanahara mine, Okayama prefecture, Japan. The physiological and 16S rDNA sequence analyses revealed that YARD1 was closely affiliated with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, YARD2 was an Acidiphilium-like bacterium, and YARD3 and YARD4 were sulfur-oxidizing bacteria with a relatively close relationship to A. ferrooxidans in the phylogenetic analysis. A molecular approach based on the construction of a 16S rDNA clone library was used to investigate the microbial population of the ARD. Small-subunit rRNA genes were PCR amplified, subsequently cloned and screened for variation by a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. A total of 284 clones were grouped into 133 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) by the RFLP analysis. Among them, an OTU showing the same RFLP pattern as those of the isolates from the ARD was not detected. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rDNA sequences from 10 major OTUs and their close relatives revealed that 4 OTUs containing 32.1% of the total clones were loosely affiliated with Verrucomicrobia, 2 OTUs containing 6.6% of the total clones were loosely affiliated with Chloribi, and other OTUs were affiliated with Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, and beta-Proteobacteria.     

Discrimination of olive oil adulterated with vegetable oils using dielectric spectroscopy

The study focused on application of dielectric spectroscopy to identify the adulteration of olive oil. The dielectric properties of binary mixture of oils were investigated in the frequency range of 101 Hz–1 MHz. A partial least squares (PLS) model was developed and used to verify the concentrations of the adulterant. Furthermore, the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify olive oil sample as distinct from other adulterants based on their dielectric spectra. The results showed that the dielectric spectra of binary mixture of olive oil spiked with other oils increased with increasing concentration of soy, corn, canola, sesame, and perilla oils from 0% to 100% (w/w) over the measured frequency range. PLS calibration model showed a good prediction capability for the concentrations of the adulterant. For olive oil adulterated with soy oil, the results showed that the RMS was 0.053, sd(RMS), 0.017 and Q² value was 0.967. PCA classification plots for all oil samples showed clear performance in the differentiation for the different concentrations of the adulterant. Each of the oil samples could be easily grouped in different clusters using dielectric spectra. From the results obtained in this research, dielectric spectroscopy could be used to discriminate the olive oil adulterated with the different types of the oils at levels of adulteration below 5%.