Steam Reforming of Methanol on Copper Catalysts Supported on Large-Surface-Area ZnAl2O3

Steam reforming of methanol on various supported Cu catalysts was examined. Supports strongly affected catalyst activity and, among the catalysts tested, Cu catalyst supported on large-surface-area ZnAl₂O₄ showed the highest activity, which, to the best of our knowledge, was higher than those for the supported catalysts reported so far. For supported Cu catalysts, two species were observed. One was a dispersed Cu species having strong interaction between Cu and support, and the other was an isolated Cu species. The activity of the former species strongly depended on supports.     

A novel hybrid adsorption heat pump water heater

A hybrid adsorption heat pump water heater has been studied for domestic use. It is a water heater with dual heat sources, and it combines the performances of adsorption heat pumps and conventional gas boilers. Moreover, functional adsorbent material‐zeolite (FAM‐Z02, Mitsubishi Chemicals) and water are a new adsorption pair for adsorption heat pumps. This article describes the operation, design, and performance analysis of one such water‐heating device. The experimental results showed that the hybrid water heater in the whole year has a stable COP even at low ambient temperature. The hybrid water heater can thus achieve high energy efficiency.     

Pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse pretreated with sulfuric acid

Pyrolysis is a promising technique for the recovery of useful gas, tar, and solid products from biomass waste. However, the low tar yields obtained from lignocellulosic biomass are a significant drawback. To enhance tar yields, sugarcane bagasse, which is the most abundant agricultural waste in Fiji, was pretreated at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure using various sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) concentrations. Here, the ether bonds of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were partially hydrolyzed. The pretreated samples were then pyrolyzed at 500 °C, and it was confirmed that H₂SO₄-pretreatment disrupted the bagasse cell structure, with the thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry results confirming that decomposition occurred at lower temperatures after pretreatment. In addition, tar yields were significantly enhanced from 5.6 wt% to 13.4 wt% for the untreated and 3 M H₂SO₄-pretreated samples respectively. The main components detected in this tar product were levoglucosan, andcellulose-and hemicellulose-derived products, whose proportions were increased following pretreatment. Thus, our work demonstrates that dilute acid pretreatment enhances tar production from sugarcane bagasse due to the production of shorter chain components via the partial hydrolysis of ether bonds.     

Profiling and Imaging of Phospholipids in Brains of Abcd1‐Deficient Mice

ABCD1 is a gene responsible for X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X‐ALD), and is critical for the transport of very long‐chain fatty acids (VLCFA) into peroxisomes and subsequent β‐oxidation. VLCFA‐containing lipids accumulate in X‐ALD patients, although the effect of ABCD1‐deficiency on each lipid species in the central nervous system has not been fully characterized. In this study, each phospholipid and lysophospholipid species in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains were profiled by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Among the phospholipid and lysophospholipid species that are significantly more enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, VLCFA were present in 75, 15, 5, 4, and 1 species of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. Most VLCFA were incorporated at the sn‐1 position of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Among the phospholipid species that are significantly less enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, odd‐numbered saturated or mono‐unsaturated fatty acyl moieties are contained in all phosphatidylcholine species. In addition, a number of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine species contained highly unsaturated fatty acyl moieties. Intriguingly, 44:1 phosphatidylcholine with VLCFA was mainly distributed in the gray matter, such as the cortex, but not in the white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum. These results show that ABCD1‐deficiency causes metabolic alternation of long‐chain fatty acids and VLCFA. Moreover, our results imply a molecular mechanism for the incorporation of saturated or monounsaturated VLCFA into the sn‐1 position of phospholipids, and also indicate that the distribution of phospholipids with VLCFA may correlate with the development of X‐ALD.     

Effects of Phosphoryl Oligosaccharides of Calcium (POs-Ca) on Mycelial Growth and Fruiting Body Development of the Edible Mushroom,Pleurotus ostreatus

Phosphoryl oligosaccharides of calcium (POs-Ca) is a calcium salt of phosphoryl maltooligosaccharides made from potato starch. POs-Ca is highly water-soluble and can supply both the calcium ion and acidic oligosaccharides in an aqueous solution. In this study, we investigated the effects of POs-Ca on the mycelial growth and fruiting body yield of Pleurotus ostreatus , which is one of the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. We cultivated the mushroom using both potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and sawdust-based medium, with added calcium salts. The addition of POs-Ca into the PDA medium with a calcium concentration of 10 mg increased mycelial growth significantly ( p < 0.05, vs . control). POs-Ca addition to the sawdust-based medium at concentrations of 1.0 to 3.0 g/100 g medium increased the amount of calcium in the fruiting bodies but did not affect the length of the cultivation period or the weight of the fruiting body. The calcium content in the fruiting body increased 12-fold when compared to the control. On the other hand, neither the CaHPO ₄ ･2H ₂ O group nor the CaHPO ₄ ･2H ₂ O with oligosaccharides group showed changes in the calcium content of the fruiting bodies. Our results indicate that the use of POs-Ca in mushroom cultivation allows for the possibility of developing new functional foods like calcium-enriched edible mushrooms. This is the first report describing the effects of POs-Ca on mushroom cultivation.     

Transgenic melon (cucumis melo L.) and potential for expression of novel proteins important to food industry

Abstract

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an important fruit crop cultivated widely in every region of the world. Our laboratory is targeting this species for production of novel proteins important to food industry. Prior to expression of protein of interest in transgenic melon an efficient genetic transformation system has to be developed. In this context we are testing a wide variety of promoters fused to reporter gene for β‐glucuronidase (GUS) for expression specifically in melon fruits. In this study in melon, salicylic acid‐inducible promoter region of pathogenesis‐related protein gene (PR1a) of tobacco fused to β‐glucuronidase (GUS) gene was introduced into melon via Agrobacterium‐mediated gene transfer using a binary vector system. Gene transfer was effective when Agrobacterium virulence factors like acetosyringone (100 μM) and low pH (5.2) were provided during the co‐culture step. Transformed shoots were recovered from benzyladenine‐induced cut cotyledons using kanamycin gene as a selective marker. Regeneration of shoots from cotyledons was stimulated by providing 10 mM proline in the shoot organogenesis medium. Southern and Northern blot analysis of transformants confirmed the presence of β‐glucuronidase gene in two selected clones J‐3 and PR‐G. The transformants also showed high β‐glucuronidase activity after salicylic acid treatment. Thiamine, a previously known inducer of pathogenesis‐related protein, stimulated β‐glucuronidase in J‐3 but not PR‐G melon transformants tested in this study. These studies showed that tobacco PR1a promoter region can be expressed in melon and it was stimulated by salicylic acid. This indicates the potential to use the promoter region of tobacco PR1a for genetic improvement of melon for specific food processing‐related characteristics or for expression of novel food‐related proteins. The promoter region could be used to drive specific target genes under stress or salicylic acid induced conditions.     

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV from porcine seminal plasma: purification, characterization, and N-terminal amino acid sequence

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) was purified to homogeneity from porcine seminal plasma by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was calculated to be approximately 290,000 on PAGE in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 310,000 on Sephacryl S-300 HR column chromatography, and to be 115,000 and 105,000 on SDS-PAGE in the absence and presence of beta-mercaptoethanol. The enzyme is suggested to be composed of three identical subunits. The enzyme rapidly hydrolyzed the substrate Gly-Pro-MCA, and weakly the substrate Lys-Ala-MCA. It was strongly inhibited by diisopropylphosphofluoridate (DFP), and moderately by both phenylmethyl-sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride (AEBSF). It was also strongly inhibited by zinc ion. The amino acid sequence of the first 18 residues of the enzyme was Asn-Lys-Gly-Thr-Asp-Asp-Ala-Ala-Ala-Asp-Ser-Arg-Arg- Thr-Tyr-Thr-Leu-Thr-. This sequence was highly homologous to the sequences in the rear of the transmembrane site of human and rat liver DPP IVs and mouse thymus DPP IV. The native DPP IV is suggested to be released into the seminal plasma after the cleavage of the hydrophobic N-terminal domain by chymotrypsin-like or pepsin-like enzymes. Other properties of DPP IV including kinetic parameters, pH stability and heat stability were characterized.     

Catalytic activity and solid acidity of vanadium oxide thin layer loaded on TiO2, ZrO2, and SnO2

Vanadium oxide spread highly on TiO₂ (anatase, A) and SnO₂, and rather densely on TiO₂ (rutile, R) and ZrO₂ to make the monolayer in less than 4–5 V nm⁻². Profile of acid site of the monolayer was measured by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia, and its relation with the surface oxidation state was studied. The acid site density was high on the V₂O₅/TiO₂ (A) independent of the degree of oxidation. On the other hand, that of V₂O₅/TiO₂ (R) and V₂O₅/ZrO₂ depended on the oxidation state, and the high value of the concentration was observed on the oxidized one. The strength of acid site generated on the V₂O₅ monolayer on TiO₂ was as high as on the HZSM-5 zeolite. Turnover frequency (TOF) of propane conversion, and product selectivity were measured in propane oxidation. Among tested oxides, the V₂O₅/TiO₂ (A) showed the high TOF and selectivity to form propylene, while those loaded on TiO₂ (R) and ZrO₂ the small TOF and poor selectivity. Therefore, the reaction profile of activity and selectivity could be related with the extent of spreading and solid acidity. An idea of limit of the acid site density ca. 1.5 nm⁻² on the monolayer was elucidated.