Dietary effect of a symmetrical triacylglycerol, 1,3-biseicosapentaenoyl-2-γ-linolenoyl glycerol, on fatty acid composition of guinea pigs

The dietary effect of 1,3-biseicosapentaenoyl-2-γ-linolenoyl glycerol (STG) on the fatty acid composition of guinea pigs was examined and compared with that of an eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-F) and of a soybean oil (SBO) diet. In terms of content of plasma lipid, EPA-E had a greater hypolipidemic effect than STG. On the other hand, in terms of EPA incorporation, contents of EPA in liver lipid were almost the same in the STG and EPA-E groups. Considering that the amount of EPA administered in the EPA-E group was almost 1.5 times that of the STG group, FPA may be absorbed more effectively as the glycerol ester than as the ethyl ester in guinea pigs. In all the tissue lipids, the STG group had a higher unsaturation index (UI) than the EPA-E group even though there is a lower UI in the STG diet than the EPA-E diet. These results suggest that greater amounts of desaturase products as a whole were synthesized in the STG group than in the other two groups. The dihomo-γ-linolenic acid/arachidonic acid (DGLA/AA) ratio in plasma total lipids in the STG group was 3.5 times that of SBO group, and the DGLA/AA ratio in the EPA-E group was half that of the SBO group. In liver lipid, the ratios of DGLA/AA and EPA/AA in the STG group were 0.687 and 0.488 (phosphatidylcholine fraction) and 0.237 and 0.752 (phosphatidylethanolamine fraction), respectively. The ratio of DGLA/AA as well as the high EPA/AA ratio obtained in the present study with the STG diet may lead to physiological alterations, including enhanced synthesis of 1-and 3-series eicosanoids.     

Effects of heated seat and foot heater on thermal comfort and heater energy consumption in vehicle

Subjective experiments involving 12 different conditions were conducted to investigate the effects of heated seats and foot heaters in vehicles on thermal sensation and thermal comfort. The experimental conditions involved various combinations of the operative temperature in the test room (10 or 20°C), a heated seat (on/off) and a foot heater (room operative temperature?+10 or?+20°C). The heated seat and foot heater improved the occupant's thermal sensation and comfort in cool environments. The room operative temperature at which the occupants felt a 'neutral' overall thermal sensation was decreased by about 3°C by using the heated seat or foot heater and by about 6°C when both devices were used. Moreover, the effects of these devices on vehicle heater energy consumption were investigated using simulations. As a result, it was revealed that heated seats and foot heaters can reduce the total heater energy consumption of vehicles. Statement of Relevance: Subjective experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of heated seats and foot heaters in vehicles on thermal comfort. The heated seat and foot heater improved the occupant's thermal sensation and comfort in cool environments. These devices can reduce the total heater energy consumption in vehicles.     

The convex-concave characteristics of Gaussian channel capacity functions

In this correspondence, we give several inherent properties of the capacity function of a Gaussian channel with and without feedback by using some operator inequalities and matrix analysis. We give a new proof method which is different from the method appearing in: K. Yanagi and H. W. Chen, "Operator inequality and its application to information theory," Taiwanese J. Math., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 407-416, Sep. 2000. We obtain the following results: C/sub n,Z/(P) and C/sub n,FB,Z/(P) are both concave functions of P, C/sub n,Z/(P) is a convex function of the noise covariance matrix and C/sub n,FB,Z/(P) is a convex-like function of the noise covariance matrix. This new proof method is very elementary and the results shall help study the capacity of Gaussian channel. Finally, we state a conjecture concerning the convexity of C/sub n,FB,/spl middot//(P).     

Condensation of organic binary mixtures flowing horizontally in a horizontal tube bundle

Both heat and mass transfer in the gas phase and heat transfer in the liquid phase are examined experimentally for film condensation of organic binary mixtures such as ethanol-water and methanol-water. Experimental results on the average heat flux, vapor-liquid interface temperature and liquid-phase Nusselt number are compared with analytical solutions based on stagnant film theory and heat-transfer relationships for film condensation from a pure vapor. Experimental heat transfer results agree well with the analytical solutions, except that the experimental liquid-phase Nusselt numbers under conditions of low mass fraction of water are considerably higher than predicted by the analytical solutions. This high value of the liquid-phase Nusselt number is considered to be caused by dropwise condensation in the liquid phase. However, its effect on the tube bundle is not so remarkable compared with that in gravity-controlled condensation on a vertical surface. This is considered to be caused by the condensate inundation effect. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Heat Trans Jpn Res, 25(6): 342–361, 1996     

Layered mixed-anion compounds: Epitaxial growth,active function exploration,and device application

Optoelectronic properties and device applications of layered mixed-anion compounds such as oxychalcogenide LaCuOCh (Ch = chalcogen) and oxypnictide LaT_MOPn (T_M = 3d transition metal, Pn = pnicogen) are reviewed. Several distinctive functions have been found in these materials based on our original material exploration concept. Fabrication of high-quality epitaxial films of LaCuOCh leads to clarifying the excellent electrical and optical properties such as high hole mobility of 8 cm²/(V s) and heavy hole doping at >10²¹ cm^?3 in LaCuOSe, and sharp and tunable-wavelength photoluminescence in the solid–solution systems in LaCuOCh. In addition, a room temperature operation of a light-emitting diode is demonstrated using LaCuOSe as a light-emitting layer. These results suggest that the layered oxychalcogenides have potential for light-emitting layers as well as transparent hole-injection layers in organic/inorganic light-emitting diodes. Furthermore, by extending the material system from the copper-based oxychalcogenides to isostructural compounds, transition metal-based oxypnictides LaT_MOP (T_M = Fe, Ni), we have found novel superconductors, LaFeOP and LaNiOP.     

Improvement of productivity of active horseradish peroxidase in Escherichia coli by coexpression of Dsb proteins

Coexpression of two classes of folding accessory proteins, molecular chaperones and foldases, can be expected to improve the productivity of soluble and active recombinant proteins. In this study, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which has four disulfide bonds, was selected as a model enzyme and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The effects of coexpression of a series of folding accessory proteins (DnaK, DnaJ, GrpE, GroEL/ES, trigger factor (TF), DsbA, DsbB, DsbC, DsbD, and thioredoxin (Trx)) on the productivity of active HRP in E. coli were examined. Active HRP was produced by very mild induction with 1 microM isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at 37 degrees C, whereas the amount of active HRP produced by the induction with 1 mM IPTG was negligibly small. Active HRP production was increased significantly by coexpression of DsbA-DsbB (DsbAB) or DsbC-DsbD (DsbCD), while coexpression of molecular chaperones did not improve active HRP production. The growth of E. coli cells was inhibited significantly by the induction with 1 mM IPTG in a HRP single expression system. In contrast, when HRP was coexpressed with DsbCD, the growth inhibition of E. coli was not observed. Therefore, coexpression of Dsb proteins improves both the cell growth and the productivity of HRP.     

Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of jejunal leiomyoblastoma

We report a case of large leiomyoblastoma of the jejunum. The sagittal views in pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that a cystic tumor with solid component was present, sequential from the small bowel. We suspected a smooth muscle tumor of the small bowel, but did not rule out the malignancy. The operative diagnosis was smooth muscle tumor of the proximal jejunum, and partial resection of the small bowel was performed. The pathological examination revealed benign leiomyoblastoma of the jejunum without metastasis. MRI contributed to the pre-operative diagnosis of the origin of this rare tumor, in a non-invasive fashion.     

Wavelength-dependent switching of the photocurrent direction at the surface of molecular semiconductor electrodes based on orbital-confined excitation and transfer of charge carriers from higher excited states

Photoelectrochemical experiments are performed at evaporated thin films of unsubstituted phthalocyanines (Pc) and derivatives with electronegative substituent groups in the ligand. Light absorption in the B-band leads to occupation of a higher excited singlet state S₂ relative to the first excited singlet state S₁ that is populated by Q-band absorption. Charge carriers in S₂ can have sufficient lifetime to be transferred to adsorbed reactants at the electrode surface despite the competing relaxation into S₁ and to the ground state S₀. The assignment of the well-defined B- and Q-bands in the solid state to transitions between distinct molecular orbitals is thereby proven to be of practical relevance. If a material of a suitable position of energy levels is chosen, the direction of charge transfer can be switched by illumination with light of the two different wavelengths. According to the separate pathways of reaction starting from the S₂ and S₁ excited states different quantum efficiencies are obtained following absorption in either the B- or Q-band. Surface traps in the different reactions of charge transfer to the electrolyte are detected by charging and discharging photocurrent spikes. Implications of the present findings for the fundamental discussion of electrical and electrochemical properties involving illumination of molecular modified electrodes which are in part also of technical significance due to the related phenomena of photoconduction (photocopiers, laser printers), light emission (organic light emitting diodes) and charge transfer (solar energy conversion) are discussed.     

Fundamental welding R&D results for manufacturing vacuum vessel of JT-60SA

The real vacuum vessel (VV) manufacturing of JT-60SA has started since November 2009 at Toshiba. Prior to starting manufacturing, fundamental welding R&Ds had been performed by three stages. In the first stage, primary tests for screening welding method were performed. In the second stage, the trial welding for 1 m-long straight and curved double shell samples were conducted. The dependences of welding quality and distortion on the welding conditions, such as arc voltage and current, setting accuracy, welding sequence, and the shape of grooves were studied. In addition, welding condition with low heat input was explored. In the last stage, fabrication sequence was confirmed and established by the trial manufacturing of the 20° upper half mock-up [1]. This paper presents the R&D results obtained in the first and second stages.     

Characterizations of elderly recipient of home-care and their caregivers. A questionnaire survey of elderly members of a health insurance union

The characteristics of elderly being cared for at home and their caregivers were analyzed based on a questionnaire about health and care for the elderly. We also assessed the problems of home care in view of activities of daily living (ADL) of the home-care recipient. Subjects were members of a health insurance union or their families and ages were more than 65 years old. Results were as follows; 1. The total number of released questionnaires was 5,472, of which responses totally 2,567 (46.9%) were received. Frequencies of the elderly at home without care, at home with care, and in hospitals or nursing home were 86.3%, 9.6% and 4.1%, respectively. 2. We categorized the home care recipient according to their ADL and analyzed their status. The frequency of using health care equipment for home care was significantly higher in the low ADL groups than in the high ADL groups. Caregivers in low ADL groups felt much more care burden than those in high ADL groups. 3. There was a tendency for differences in the use of community welfare services such as visiting nurses or short-stay between the home care recipient with dementia (group D) and the bedfast home care recipient (group C). Approximately 30% of caregivers in group D wanted to transfer the care of the elderly to hospitals or nursing home. 4. In Tokyo and nearby prefectures, there was a highly frequency that main caregivers were recipients' children. In the rural prefecture it was more frequent that the main caregiver was recipients' wife or husband only.