LIPID CLASSES, FATTY ACID COMPOSITIONS AND TRIACYLGLYCEROL MOLECULAR SPECIES FROM ADZUKI BEANS (VIGNA ANGULARIS)

The lipids extracted from adzuki beans grown in Japan were classified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) into eight fractions. Molecular species and fatty acid distributions of triacylglycerols (TAGs) isolated from the total lipids in the beans were determined from a combination of argentation-TLC and gas chromatography. The major lipid components were phospholipids (PL; 63.5%) and TAG (21.2%), while hydrocarbons (5.1%), steryl esters (7.5%), free fatty acids (0.9%), diacylglycerols (1.3%) and monoacylglycerols (0.5%) were also present in minor proportions. Both major samples had high amounts of total unsaturated fatty acids, representing 62.1% for TAG and 65.9% for PL. Seventeen different molecular species were detected. The major TAG components were SMD (5.0%), S₂T (19.3%), SD₂ (13.8%), SMT (9.3%), MD₂ (4.5%), SDT (7.0%), D₃ (8.8%) and ST₂ (15.9%), where S, M, D and T denote a saturated fatty acid, a monoene, a diene and a triene, respectively.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article describes the characteristics of lipid components, fatty acid compositions as well as the profiles of triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species of adzuki beans. α-Linolenic (18:3 n -3) acid was detected as 24.8, 21.2 and 15.2% in the TAG, total lipids and phospholipids, respectively. The oil from legumes, except the profitable fatty acid content, could be a potential source of tocopherols. The data obtained in this study would be useful to both consumers and producers for manufacturing traditional adzuki confectionaries ( wagashi ) in Japan and elsewhere.     

Complex Permittivity Spectra of Various Insulating Polymers at Ultrawide‐Band Frequencies

Nowadays, trials to use even higher frequencies are pursued to realize high‐speed wireless communications. In order to respond to such a trend, dielectric properties of insulating polymers at high frequencies have to be clarified, although the importance of clarifying low‐frequency properties is still very high, especially for use as high‐voltage insulators. In this regard, complex permittivity spectra from 10 mHz to 4.0 THz were obtained for various insulating polymers. The spectra obtained in the very wide frequency range are important, because they can be a valuable database and they provide various pieces of important information on dielectric characteristics.     

Ion-temperature control in toroidal plasmas by neutral injection†

When the electron loss in a toroidal plasma is very high, such that the electron temperature does not vary appreciably during neutral-injection heating as observed in the T.F.R. experiments, one can use a single-temperature model to describe the heating dynamics. Based on this model, the problem of finding an injection-current program I = 1(1) with 0 ≤ I(t) ≤ I_max < ∞ which heats the ions to a specified temperature and minimizes the heating time or the injection energy over a fixed time-duration, is considered. It is shown that the optimal I takes on the value 0 or I_max over the injection period. Also, the dynamics and stability of a feedback-controlled injection system are analysed. The results suggest the possibility of using automatic control for close regulation of ion temperature in a toroidal plasma with neutral injection. Finally, the problem of identifying the ion-diffusion law by measuring the ion temperature over a finite time duration is explored.     

Secretome-microRNA and anti-proliferative APRO family proteins as cancer prevention and stem cell research strategies

Stemness of cancer cells contains limitless self-renewal proliferation. For the purpose of proliferation, secretome might exert its effects via the paracrine signaling. Specific microRNAs enclosed in the secretome of cancer stem cells could regulate the expression of anti-proliferative APRO family proteins. The biological functions of APRO family proteins seems to be quite intricate, however, which might be a key modulator of microRNAs, then could regulate the proliferation of cancer cells. In addition to affecting proliferation/differentiation during cellular development, APRO family proteins might also play an imperious role on keeping homeostasis in healthy stem cells under a physiological condition. Therefore, relationship between the microRNAs and the APRO family proteins has attracted much attention in the field of cancer research and regenerative medicine. Here, we have described the molecular mechanism behind this interplay that have a potential role in the future promising tools with targeting APRO family proteins for the medical applications.