Osaka Metropolitan University College of Technology

On-off photoswitching of circularly polarized luminescence was achieved using a pyrene-bearing helical tetrathiazole, in which two pyrene fluorophores stack in a chiral fashion (folded state). The pyrene-excimer based CPL was reversibly controlled by a geometrical change of the tetrathiazole upon photoisomerization.

Multiple-frequency coherent radiation in the sub-terahertz region was generated by excitation of a photoconductive antenna with a commercially available multimode laser diode (LD). The origin of the radiation was the current modulations in the photoconductive antenna caused by the optical beats between the longitudinal modes of the LD. An interferometric spectral measurement showed line spectra at frequency multiples of 52 GHz beyond 400 GHz. This result indicates that the photoconductive antenna with a multimode LD excitation can achieve a wavelength-selectable coherent radiation source in the sub-terahertz region with a very simple and compact device configuration.

Involvement of auxin polar transport in flower formation of Arabidopsis thaliana was studied using a pinformed (pin) mutant (Rpin) transformed with the indoleacetamide hydrolase (iaaH) gene and the phenocopy of the pin mutant, which was induced by 9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylic acid (HFCA). The application of indoleacetamide (IAM) did not change aberrant structure of the aerial part of Rpin (pin/pin), but extremely inhibited its root growth. Treatment with IAM increased the endogenous concentrations of free and conjugated IAA in Rpin normal (pin/+ or +/+) due to the expression of the iaaH gene, to 140% and 428% of those in non-treated plants, respectively, and those in Rpin to 378% and 120%, respectively. The activity of IAA polar transport in the inflorescence axis of Rpin remained low even in the presence of IAM, the activity being almost similar, to that in the pin mutant. The activity of IAA polar transport in the HFCA-induced phenocopy of the pin mutant was also extremely low, and it was not restored by the simultaneous application of IAA. Arabidopsis thaliana responded to HFCA applied from 7 to 11 d and from 25 to 29 d after germination in the wild-type plant (Enkheim ecotype) and the late flowering mutant (fb mutant), respectively. These results suggest that the construction of the system of auxin polar transport and its normal activities are essential for the differentiation and the formation of floral meristem in the early growth stage of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Six chitinases were purified from a culture supernatant of Aeromonas sp. no. 10S-24 by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Butyl-Toyopearl 650M, and chromatofocusing. These enzymes were most active at pH 3.5-4.5 and the optimum temperature were 50 degrees C. The molecular weights of the enzymes were 89,000 to 120,000 from SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. N-Terminal amino acid sequences of the enzymes were similar to that of chitinase I.

All of the 8 strains that were previously assumed to be nontoxigenic Clostridium botulinum type C were re-examined for their toxigenicity and were demonstrated by trypsinization of the culture filtrates to produce C2 toxin under improved cultural conditions. One per cent glucose added to trypticase peptone medium enhanced C2 toxin production. The larger the spore population, the higher the C2 toxicity and when spore population was smaller than a level of 10(4)/ml, no C2 toxicity was demonstrated. The C2 toxin was produced only during sporulation and not during vegetative growth.

Abstract Optical resolution of RS-chlorpheniramine by cyclodextrin (CD) added capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) was investigated. In CD added CZE, optical resolution was achieved with β-CD - urea solutions (pH 2.5-3.0) with and without methanol. In this system, γ-CD was not effective to achieve enantiomeric separation. In CD-MEKC, similar resolution as in the CD added CZE systems was obtained with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) - β-CD - urea solutions (pH 3.0).

Herein, we report the synthesis of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) functionalized by peptide dendron thiolate ligands forming a hydrogen bonding supramolecular reaction field. The prepared AuNCs act as efficient photocatalysts that promote the oxidative cyclization of an amino alcohol to afford the oxazolidine product. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and 1H NMR titration experiments revealed that the dynamic transformation of interdendron hydrogen bonds into intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the ligand and the substrate is the key to accelerating the photocatalytic reaction. This work introduces a concept for tuning the reactivities and selectivities of metal nanocluster catalysts that use supramolecular reaction fields created with dendritic thiolate ligands.

Okaramine G (1), a new okaramine congener, was isolated from Penicillium simplicissimum ATCC 90288. The structure of 1 was determined by a spectroscopic investigation. Okaramine G exhibited insecticidal activity against silkworms.

Various sizes of high-density biomass briquette, named ‘Bio-coke,’ were produced from spent green tea grounds. The mechanical properties at room temperature of the Bio-coke samples were investigated using a compression testing machine. From the results, the relationship between the specimen size of Bio-coke and the ultimate compressive strength at room temperature showed that the ultimate compressive strength depends on the specimen size of Bio-coke. The maximum value of the ultimate compressive strength among the different specimen sizes of Bio-coke was at 67 MPa, obtained from the 12-mm diameter sample. In addition, at 12 mm diameter or smaller, there is hardly any difference in the ultimate compressive strengths measured. Hence, the cold compressive strength properties are divided into two groups based on the uniformity of the structure of the main components along the horizontal cross section of a Bio-coke. Results indicate that the state of the structure, composed of cellulose, hemi-cellulose, and lignin, appears to be consistent resulting from uniform permeation conditions at the 12-mm diameter or smaller samples. Meanwhile, at diameters of 20 mm or larger, the condition of the periphery of the samples were not consistent with that of the middle region because of the temperature, stress gradient and number of void occurring inside the Bio-coke caused by specimen size effect.

Green port structures (i.e. green infrastructure in ports and harbors) featuring habitats for marine organisms have been promoted in Japan as part of a comprehensive policy to reduce the environmental impact of ports and carry out habitat conservation, restoration, and creation. In this study, we evaluated the ecosystem services provided by green port structures in two highly urbanized bays (Tokyo Bay and Osaka Bay) in Japan. Our results show that the provision of some ecosystem services can be limited by circumstances particular to ports and other areas with restricted access. In the case of green port structures that have strong usage restrictions, for example, cultural services can only be provided if relevant authorities are prepared to conduct public events while ensuring participant safety. On the other hand, green port structures with weak usage restrictions are often equipped with incidental facilities such as parking lots and restrooms; these facilities can enhance the provision of cultural services (e.g. recreation and environmental education). Green port structures in highly urbanized bays often have usage restrictions, but their proximity to large populations means that they can potentially provide numerous ecosystem services. However, our study shows that appropriate management goals, such as protecting species and ensuring healthy habitats, are needed to maintain the value of these services in highly urbanized and eutrophic bays.

In a culture filtrate of Trametes sanguinea IFO 6490, we found a protopectin-solubilizing enzyme, protopectinase-T, that did not degrade polygalacturonic acid. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with hydrophobic, cation-exchange, anion-exchange, and size-exclusion chromatographies. It had an apparent molecular mass of 55 kDa by SDS/PAGE and 39 kDa by size-exclusion chromatography on Superose 12. The isoelectric point was at pH 8.1. Protopectinase-T was stable from pH 3.0 to 6.0 and at temperatures up to 50 degrees C. The optimum pH for enzyme activity was 4.0 at 37 degrees C, and the optimum temperature was 50 degrees C at pH 5.0. Protopectinase-T catalyzed the release of highly polymerized pectin from lemon peel protopectin.

A reaction of ammonium nitrite in ice was investigated. Upon freezing, some nitrite is oxidized by dissolved oxygen and some nitrite reacts with ammonium to produce nitrogen and water in a denitrification reaction. The former reaction was accelerated only during freezing, and the latter one was accelerated even after the whole sample was frozen. The denitrification reaction proceeded at very low concentration in ice, which were conditions under which the reaction would not proceed in solution. The nitrogen production increased linearly with increasing initial concentration of ammonium nitrite. The concentration factor in the unfrozen solution in ice was estimated to be 50.6 when the initial concentration was 0.5 mmol dm–3, as obtained from comparison of reaction rates in solution and in ice. A new method for determination of the activation energy is proposed that gives a value of 53 to 61 kJ mol–1 for denitrification. The reaction order of the denitrification process is also determined using our method, and it is concluded to follow third-order kinetics.

The crystal structures of chitosan-L- and D-lactate salts were studied by X-ray diffraction measurements on fiber diagrams. In each lactate, chitosan took on a different crystalline polymorph depending on the preparation temperature. At low temperature, they gave a similar fiber pattern to that of the type II salt which has been found to be one of the two forms of chitosan acid salts in which the backbone chitosan molecules take on an eight-fold helix. At high temperature, however, the fiber pattern was that of the type I salt, another form of chitosan salt in which the backbone chains apparently retain the 21 symmetry of chitosan itself. The high-temperature polymorph of the L-lactate was a monoclinic (pseudoorthorhombic) unit cell whose lattice parameters were a=10.51, b=10.85, c(fiber axis)=10.34 Å and γ=90°. That of the D-lactate was also a monoclinic cell having parameters a=11.20, b=11.60, c(fiber axis)=10.38 Å and γ=93.0°. Their unit cell volumes coupled with their observed density values indicate that two chains of chitosan lactate were accommodated in each unit cell, that the L-lactate was an anhydrous crystal, but that the D-lactate was hydrated. The preparation temperature at which the salt changed from type II to type I was different between the D- and L-lactate, suggesting that these acids had different affinity to the chitosan molecule. When chitosan powder was suspended in a racemic lactic acid solution, the resultant solution always showed a minus sign for the rotation angle, indicating that D-lactic acid had higher affinity to chitosan than the L-isomer.

Abstract Terrestrial carbon cycling is largely mediated by soil food webs. Identifying the carbon source for soil animals has been desired to distinguish their roles in carbon cycling, but it is challenging for small invertebrates at low trophic levels because of methodological limitations. Here, we combined radiocarbon (14C) analysis with stable isotope analyses (13C and 15N) to understand feeding habits of soil microarthropods, especially focusing on springtail (Collembola). Most Collembola species exhibited lower Δ14C values than litter regardless of their δ13C and δ15N signatures, indicating their dependence on young carbon. In contrast with general patterns across all taxonomic groups, we found a significant negative correlation between δ15N and Δ14C values among the edaphic Collembola. This means that the species with higher δ15N values depend on C from more recent photosynthate, which suggests that soil-dwelling species generally feed on mycorrhizae to obtain root-derived C. Many predatory taxa exhibited higher Δ14C values than Collembola but lower than litter, indicating non-negligible effects of collembolan feeding habits on the soil food web. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of radiocarbon analysis, which can untangle the confounding factors that change collembolan δ15N values, clarify animal feeding habits and define the roles of organisms in soil food webs.

In this review, we describe finite superconducting networks which consist of mutually connected superconducting wires. These are two-dimensional square and honeycomb networks and three-dimensional tetrahedron, octahedron and C60 networks. Because of multi-connectivity, they show a wide variety of magnetic flux structures under an external magnetic field. Also we show the effect of disorder on the flux structures and the penetration dynamics of the fluxons.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the autoantigenic epitopes of centromere protein C (CENP-C) recognized by anti-centromere antibodies (ACA). METHODS: A series of truncated peptides of human CENP-C were expressed in Escherichia coli and immunoblotting analysis was performed with 45 ACA positive sera obtained from patients with different types of autoimmune diseases. RESULTS: Although 9 epitopes were scattered over the entire molecule, the N terminus was immunodominant for IgG and IgM classes and the C terminus was dominant for IgG class. Both epitopes were separately located within the instability and centromere targeting domains in vivo, or the oligomerization-accessible and homodimerization domains in vitro, respectively. In contrast, minor epitopes were clustered at the internal DNA binding domain. A number of patterns of immunoreactivities against 3 representative antigenic sites by IgG or IgM class antibodies were found. CONCLUSION: The results indicated the existence of different anti-CENP-C responses in rheumatic diseases and a possible correlation between antigenic regions and functional sites in the CENP-C antigen.

In recent years, the development of bio-energy in cooperation with an ASEAN country is a very important issue for both participating countries, which would be able to build a win-win relationship. ASEAN countries have a large amount of unused biomass resources. However, raw biomass business does not seem to work well based on experience unless a new technology is introduced. The Bio-coke (referred to as BIC) is a domestic energy technology in Japan. In this study, Bio-coke made from unused resources of fruits that are imported in large quantities from ASEAN countries is being focused. The compressive strength measured for Banana peel Bio-coke was 98.4 MPa at initial moisture of 1.81 mass% while the Orange peel Bio-coke measured 167.0 MPa at initial moisture of 0.52 mass%. Meanwhile, the apparent Yang's modulus ratio based on cool compressive test for the former is about 4.0 GPa and 4.5GPa for the latter. Through hot compressive test at 973 K, 8 MPa was recorded for Banana peel Bio-coke and about 4.2 MPa for Orange peel Bio-coke.

A rotary-intrusion-type of rheometer with a conical rotor has been improved to detect the intruding stress as well as the shearing torque at the cell bottom. The characteristic curves of the shearing torque versus the depth of intrusion of the rotor in the powder bed and the normal stress versus the depth of intrusion have been measured simultaneously under various operating conditions. Two experimental coefficients C and m were introduced to characterize the relationship between the shearing torque and the depth of intrusion. The coefficient m indicates the compressibility tendency of the powder bed during intrusion of the rotor. The friction property of powders has been discussed based on the coefficient C measured at m=1 (without the compressive condition).

Nature-based solutions (NbS), such as the implementation of environmental conservation and restoration as public works projects, require accurate and cost-effective assessments of the values related to the projects. The values should represent collective ecosystem services, individual services such as food provision and water purification, and other intangible services. To comprehensively assess such services, we proposed a novel method, which we call the comparative evaluation method. Our method is able to assess the value of each service category of an NbS project from a single questionnaire survey. Survey participants are asked to compare values of multiple services having anchoring prices. Our method determines the permissible economic value of environmental public works (PEP) in response to the quantity of service. The questionnaire results used for analysis are limited to those from respondents who made their PEP evaluation on the basis of their consideration of the appropriate expenditure of taxes. In addition, the method controls for the effect of the satisfaction that a person experiences from doing good deeds to reduce an overestimation of the values of services. Moreover, PEPs are not influenced by the respondent's annual income, age, sex, or educational background, and are based on personal values. Applying this new method, we surveyed residents of the watersheds of Tokyo Bay and Osaka Bay and evaluated nine ecosystem services. Overall, our new method is shown to be an effective method for evaluating the ecosystem services of NbS projects from the viewpoint of public works.

In this study, we investigated the influence of the Catalyst-Layer (CL) structure on Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) performance using an inkjet coating printer, and we especially focused on the CL thickness and the electrode area. In order to evaluate the influence of CL thickness, we prepared four Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), which have one, four, five and six CLs, respectively, and evaluated it by an overpotential analysis. As a result, the overpotentials of an activation and a diffusion increased with the increase of thickness of CL. From Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, because platinum twines most ionomers and precipitates, the CL separates into a layer of platinum with a big grain aggregate ionomer and the mixing layer of platinum and ionomer during the catalyst ink drying process. Consequently, the activation overpotential increased because the three-phase interface was not able to be formed sufficiently. The gas diffusivity of the multilayer catalyst electrode was worse than that of a single layer MEA. The influence of the electrode area was examined by two MEAs with 1 and 9 cm2 of electrode area. As a result, the diffusion overpotential of 9 cm2 MEA was worse than 1 cm2 MEA. The generated condensate was multiplied and moved to the downstream side, and thereafter it caused the flooding/plugging phenomena.