Preliminary Clinical Evaluation of Toxicity and Efficacy of A New Astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis Extract

Astaxanthin (Ax), a carotenoid ubiquitously distributed in microorganisms, fish, and crustaceans, has been known to be a potent antioxidant and hence exhibit various physiological effects. We attempted in these studies to evaluate clinical toxicity and efficacy of long-term administration of a new Ax product, by measuring biochemical and hematological blood parameters and by analyzing brain function (using CogHealth and P300 measures). Ax-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extracts equivalent to 4, 8, 20 mg of Ax dialcohol were administered to 73, 38, and 16 healthy adult volunteers, respectively, once daily for 4 weeks to evaluate safety. Ten subjects with age-related forgetfulness received an extract equivalent to 12 mg in a daily dosing regimen for 12 weeks to evaluate efficacy. As a result, no abnormality was observed and efficacy for age-related decline in cognitive and psychomotor functions was suggested

Long Period Voltage Oscillations Associated with Reaction Changes between CO2 Reduction and H2 Formation in Zero-Gap-Type CO2 Electrochemical Reactor

Zero-gap-type reactors with gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) that facilitate the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) are attractive due to their high current density and low applied voltage. These reactors, however, suffer from salt precipitation and anolyte flooding of the cathode, leading to a short lifetime. Here, using a zero-gap reactor with a transparent cathode end plate, we report periodic voltage oscillations under constant current operation. Increases in cell voltages occur at the same time as the reactor switches from the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to predominant CO2RR; decreases in cell voltage occur with the switch from the CO2RR to HER. Further, real time visual observations show that salt precipitation occurs during the CO2RR, whereas salt dissolution occurs during the HER. Slow flooding triggers the transition from the CO2RR to HER. A number of processes combine to slowly reduce the water content in the microporous layer, which triggers the transition back to the CO2RR

Optical – near-infrared catalog for the AKARI north ecliptic pole Deep field

Aims. We present an 8-band (u∗, g′, r′, i′, z′, Y, J, Ks) optical to near-infrared deep photometric catalog based on the observations made with MegaCam and WIRCam at the CFHT, and compute photometric redshifts, zp in the north ecliptic pole (NEP) region. AKARI infrared satellite carried out a deep survey in the NEP region at near- to mid-infrared wavelengths. Our optical to near-infrared catalog allows us to identify the counterparts and zp for the AKARI sources. Methods. We obtained seven-band (g′, r′, i′, z′, Y, J, Ks) imaging data, and we crossmatched them with existing u∗-band data (limiting magnitude = 24.6 mag [5σ; AB]) to design the band-merged catalog. We included all z′-band sources with counterparts in at least one of the other bands in the catalog. We used a template-fitting methods to compute zp for all the cataloged sources. Results. The estimated 4σ detection limits within a 1 arcsec aperture radius are 26.7, 25.9, 25.1, and 24.1 mag [AB] for the optical g′, r′, i′, and z′-bands and 23.4, 23.0, and 22.7 mag for the near-infrared Y, J, and Ks-bands, respectively. There are a total of 85 797 sources in the band-merged catalog. An astrometric accuracy of this catalog determined by examining coordinate offsets with regard to 2MASS is 0.013 arcsec with a root mean square offset of 0.32 arcsec. We distinguish 5441 secure stars from extended sources using the u∗ − J versus g′ − Ks colours, combined with the SExtractor stellarity index of the images. Comparing with galaxy spectroscopic redshifts, we find a photometric redshift dispersion, σΔz/(1 + z), of 0.032 and catastrophic failure rate, Δz/(1 + z) > 0.15, of 5.8% at zz> 1. We extend the estimate of the zp uncertainty over the full magnitude/redshift space with a redshift probability distribution function and find that our redshifts are highly accurate with z′ zpz′ zpg′z′Ks diagram, z (1.4 zz star-forming galaxies, AKARI mid-infrared detected sources seem to be affected by stronger dust extinction compared with sources with non-detections in the AKARI mid-infrared bands

「みらい」MR21-01航海概要報告:西部北太平洋におけるアジア大気微量物質による海洋生物地球化学への影響評価

http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/mirai/mr21-01/