Regulated patterns of bacterial movements based on their secreted cellulose nanofibers interacting interfacially with ordered chitin templates

Gluconacetobacter xylinus, a gram-negative bacterium that synthesizes and extrudes a cellulose nanofiber in SH media moves in random manners, resulting in 3D-network structure of the secreted nanofibers termed a pellicle. In this study, the bacterial movement was successfully regulated to be in a waving manner when cultured on ordered templates made of chitin. Interestingly, by addition of more cellulose into the chitin ordered templates, the waving pattern was getting close to a linear or straight manner. Real time video analysis and other visualization techniques clarified that the regulation of the moving manners was due to the interfacial interaction between the secreted nanofibers and the template surfaces. Furthermore, the changing of the pattern due to the cellulose content in the ordered templates appeared to depend on the magnitude of the interaction between the template and nanofibers. This regulated autonomous deposition of the fibers will build patterned 3D-structure with unique properties on the surface of the templates, leading to a novel type of nanotechnology using biological systems with biomolecular nano-templates to design 3D-structures.     

High speed quantum key distribution system

Quantum key distribution (QKD) systems can generate unconditionally secure common key between remote users. Improvement of QKD performance, particularly on key generation rate, has been required to meet current network traffic. The present paper considers system requirement to improve key generation rate by increasing photon detection rate and reducing error rate. A high-speed QKD system should be equipped with low loss receivers with high visibility, highly efficient photon detectors with small dark count probability, and a stable clock synchronization system with low stray light to the quantum signals. A solution for these issues are given by employing planar lightwave circuit interferometers, single photon detection circuits and modules, and clock synchronization based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique. A QKD system has been developed by combining these techniques. The system working with 625 MHz clock generated sift key at the rate of 2.4 kbps through a 97-km single installed fiber core.     

Effects of antioxidants on heat-induced trans fatty acid formation in triolein and trilinolein

To elucidate the relation between heat-induced cis/trans isomerisation and thermal oxidative degradation of double bonds in unsaturated lipids, we investigated the effects of several edible antioxidants on these two molecular structural changes of double bonds in triolein (cis-9, 18:1) and trilinolein (cis-9, cis-12, 18:2), which were heated at 180 °C. trans Isomerisation and oxidative degradation of each cis double bond in the triacylglycerols during heating were evaluated on the basis of the increase in the amount of trans isomers and decrease in the amount of cis isomers by gas chromatography analysis. The synchronous suppression in trans isomerisation and cis deterioration of double bonds in these triacylglycerols were found by addition of antioxidants, whose inhibitory effects were associated with their kinds and concentrations. When triolein was heated in the presence of antioxidant, suppression of heat-induced trans isomerisation was directly proportional to that of cis deterioration. The results of our analysis suggested that the appropriate addition of antioxidants to edible oils during processing and cooking would facilitate the control of not only thermal oxidative degradation but also heat-induced trans isomerisation of double bonds in unsaturated lipids.     

Prediction of Fracture Initiation in Thermo-Viscoelastic Material

In this study, we propose a method to predict fracture initiation time for thermo-viscoelastic material by using master curves of stress intensity factors and fracture toughness, which are derived according to the time-temperature equivalence principle. As a concrete example, we analyzed a problem concerning a thermo-viscoelastic cylinder with a crack under steady or transient-isothermal temperature and crack length conditions. We show the process for predicting fracture initiation time. Based on the analysis results, we conclude that this method is useful for estimating crack propagation and is also available to solve various fracture problems dealing with thermo-viscoelastic materials.     

Chemical Composition of the Defensive Secretion of the Longhorned Beetle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chloridolum loochooanum</Emphasis>

Adults of the longhorned beetle, Chloridolum loochooanum Gressitt (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) emit a white frothy secretion from their metasternal glands. This defensive substance contains cyclopentanoid monoterpenoids (iridodials), whose structures were elucidated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses that compared the naturally occurring structures with synthesized versions. Optically active citronellals, [(S)-, (R)-, and (S)/(R)- mixture], were used as starting materials for synthesizing the corresponding iridodials for the determination of the absolute configuration of the natural product. The retention time of (2S)-iridodial, derived from (S)-citronellal, corresponded to that of C. loochooanum iridodial by enantioselective GC analysis. Thus, we suggest that the absolute configuration of C. loochooanum iridodial is (1R,2S,5S)-iridodial.     

Fatigue crack growth mechanism in cast hybrid metal matrix composite reinforced with SiC particles and Al2O3 whiskers

The fatigue crack growth (FCG) mechanism of a cast hybrid metal matrix composite (MMC) reinforced with SiC particles and Al₂O₃ whiskers was investigated. For comparison, the FCG mechanisms of a cast MMC with Al₂O₃ whiskers and a cast Al alloy were also investigated. The results show that the FCG mechanism is observed in the near-threshold and stable-crack-growth regions. The hybrid MMC shows a higher threshold stress intensity factor range, ΔK_th, than the MMC with Al₂O₃ and Al alloy, indicating better resistance to crack growth in a lower stress intensity factor range, ΔK. In the near-threshold region with decreasing ΔK, the two composite materials exhibit similar FCG mechanism that is dominated by debonding of the reinforcement–matrix interface, and followed by void nucleation and coalescence in the Al matrix. At higher ΔK in the stable- or mid-crack-growth region, in addition to the debonding of the particle–matrix and whisker–matrix interface caused by cycle-by-cycle crack growth at the interface, the FCG is affected predominantly by striation formation in the Al matrix. Moreover, void nucleation and coalescence in the Al matrix and transgranular fracture of SiC particles and Al₂O₃ whiskers at high ΔK are also observed as the local unstable fracture mechanisms. However, the FCG of the monolithic Al alloy is dominated by void nucleation and coalescence at lower ΔK, whereas the FCG at higher ΔK is controlled mainly by striation formation in the Al grains, and followed by void nucleation and coalescence in the Si clusters.     

Effects of interface stiffness and delamination on resonant oscillations of metal laminates

In the present study, the effects of the interface stiffness and delamination of the metal laminates were investigated. In the modal analysis, the natural oscillation mode of the laminate consisting of two copper sheets with various interface conditions was analyzed by using a finite element method. The interface delamination decreases the natural frequency for the out-of-plane oscillation mode whereas it has no effect on that for the in-plane mode. The interface stiffness affects the natural frequency for both the out-of-plane and in-plane modes. Its influence was more obvious when the stiffness is lower than that of the matrix for the out-of-plane mode whereas there was an opposite trend for the in-plane mode. In the experiment, the resonant frequency of two copper sheets bonded by the adhesive was measured. As well as the simulation, the lower interface stiffness and the interface delamination decreased the resonant frequencies