Analysis of Plasmalogen Species in Foodstuffs

Ethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn), which is present at high levels in brains, is believed to be involved in neuronal protection. The present study was performed to search for PlsEtn resources in foodstuffs. The foodstuffs examined showed a wide range of PlsEtn contents from 5 to 549 μmol/100 g wet wt. The marine invertebrates, blue mussel, and ascidian had high PlsEtn contents (over 200 μmol/100 g wet wt). Profiling of the molecular species showed that the predominant fatty acids of PlsEtn species were 20:5 (EPA) and 22:6 (DHA) at the sn‐2 position of the glycerol moiety in marine foodstuffs, whereas major PlsEtn species in land foodstuffs were 20:4. Following quantitative analysis by multiple reaction monitoring, the ascidian viscera were shown to contain the highest levels of 18:0/20:5‐PlsEtn and 18:0/22:6‐PlsEtn (86 and 68 μmol/100 g wet wt, respectively). In order to evaluate a neuronal antiapoptotic effect of these PlsEtn species, human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells were treated with ethanolamine glycerophospholipid (EtnGpl), purified from the ascidian viscera, under serum starvation conditions. Extrinsic EtnGpl from ascidian viscera showed stronger suppression of cell death induced by serum starvation than with bovine brain EtnGpl. The EtnGpl from ascidian viscera strongly suppressed the activation of caspase 3. These results suggest that PlsEtn, especially that containing EPA and DHA, from marine foodstuffs is potentially useful for a therapeutic dietary supplement preventing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).     

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.     

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.     

A photocatalytic membrane reactor for gas-phase reactions using porous titanium oxide membranes

Photocatalytic membrane reactors using porous titanium oxide membranes having pore sizes of several nanometers were utilized for a gas-phase reaction of methanol. Air mixed with methanol (MeOH) vapor, the concentration of which was controlled in the range of 500–6000 ppm, was fed to the photocatalytic membrane reactor in the range of 50–500 cm³/min using several types of flow patterns. Photocatalysis with membrane permeation resulted in a large decomposition rate, compared to photocatalysis without membrane permeation. The characteristics of the reaction such as decomposition ratio of MeOH, the conversion of the decomposed MeOH to CO₂ and H₂O were found to be a function of the residence time in the reactor. The photocatalytic reaction was analyzed based on pseudo-first-order kinetics to ascertain its simplicity, and the fitted curves were found to be in a relatively good agreement with the experimental data. Apparent rate constants with and without membrane permeation were 2.5 and 1.5×10⁻⁶ m s⁻¹, respectively, indicating that the performance of the photocatalytic reaction system with membrane permeation was enhanced.     

Push-Pull Fatigue of Sintered Silicon Nitride Ceramics at Elevated Temperatures

The fatigue tests under push-pull completely reversed loading and pulsating loading were performed for silicon nitride ceramics at elevated temperatures. Then the effects of stress wave form, stress rate, and cyclic understressing on fatigue strength, and cyclic straining behavior, were examined. The cycle-number-based fatigue life is found to be shorter under trapezoidal stress wave loading than under triangular stress wave loading, and to become shorter with increasing hold time under the trapezoidal stress wave loading. Meanwhile, the equivalent time-based life curve, which is estimated from the concept of slow crack growth, almost agrees with the static fatigue life curve in the short and intermediate life regions, showing the small cyclic stress effect and the dominant stress-imposing period effect on cyclic fatigue life. The fatigue strength increased in stepwise stress amplitude increasing test, where stress amplitude is increased stepwise every given number of stress cycles, at 1100° and 1200°C. Occurrence of cyclic strengthening was proved through a gradual decrease in strain amplitude during a pulsating loading test at 1200°C in this material, corresponding to the above cyclic understressing effect on fatigue strength.     

日本蓄冷(热)空调系统的发展与最新业绩

介绍了日本减缓温室效应的对策、能源与电力行业现状、蓄冷(热)技术的发展与现状及其应用实例.在区域供热制冷工程中的实际应用数据表明,蓄冷(热)技术无论从减缓温室效应还是经济性角度来说都值得推广.     

Effect of treatment of activated carbon fiber cloth electrodes with cold plasma upon performance of electric double-layer capacitors

Charge/discharge behavior of electric double-layer capacitors composed of activated carbon fiber cloth (ACFC) electrodes and an organic electrolyte was investigated. The modification of the ACFC electrodes was performed using cold plasma generated in argon-oxygen atmosphere. The effect of the cold plasma treatment of the ACPC electrodes on the capacitor performance was discussed on the basis of the physical and chemical properties of the ACFC surface such as pore radius distribution and surface atom concentration.     

Surface and pore structure of alumina derived from xerogel/aerogel

The alkyl derivatives of boehmite were prepared by solvothermal reaction of aluminum isopropoxide in n-alcohols (ethanol, 1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol and 1-dodecanol) and the products were recovered as aerogel/xerogel by the removal of the solvent at the end of reaction. Aerogel or xerogel can be obtained simply by using only a reaction vessel (autoclave) and the obtained products were composed of plate-like particles having a well-developed boehmite structure. The alumina powders obtained by calcination of these products had relatively large pore-volumes ranging from 1.35 to 2.56 cm³/g. Transformation into α-Al₂O₃ was retarded even after calcination at 1200 °C. The effect of n-alcohols used in the solvothermal reaction on the phase, morphology and pore-texture of the alumina samples are discussed.     

Combination of cytomegalovirus enhancer with human cellular promoters for gene-induced chondrogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

High-expression plasmid vectors for human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were constructed by combination of cytomegalovirus immediate-early enhancer with cellular promoters. MSCs transfected with the vector showed higher transgene production of a cytokine, which increased the differentiation level to chondrocytes.     

Preparation of Pt-loaded TiO2 nanofibers by electrospinning and their application for WGS reactions

Preparation of Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanofibers and their catalytic performance for water gas shift (WGS) reactions have been explained in this work. The Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning poly-ethylene oxide (PEO) aqueous solutions containing Ti(OH)_n slurry and Pt nanoparticles at room temperature, followed by calcination at 773 K for 4 h. The calcined nanofibers were rougher than the nanofibers of PEO/Ti(OH)_n/Pt due to the PEO degradation and oxidation of Ti(OH)_n to TiO₂. Diameters of the Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanofibers ranged between 200 and 900 nm. Catalytic activity of the Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanofibers for water gas shift (WGS) reactions was evaluated and it was observed that their activity was 5–7 times higher than that of a bulk catalyst. Such improvement is attributed to the larger surface area of the nanofiber catalyst compared to that of the bulk catalyst. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a synthesis of Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanofibers from a Ti(OH)_n nanoparticle slurry using electrospinning and its application to WGS reactions.