Petrified Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius colony to strontianite

When biomass of the thermophilic bacteria Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is brought into contact with a hydrogel containing sodium acetate and strontium, the biomass petrifies and hardens, becoming a mineralized thin film after incubation at 60˚C for 72 h. Analysis by energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction shows that the mineralized thin film is strontianite. This is the first report of biomass completely changing to strontianite. Strontianite of thermophilic bacterial origin may be formed in the hydrothermal oligotrophic environment of the deep subsurface. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.114670

Cloning of flowering genes (WJFLC and WJFT) in wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and monitoring of flowering response with their expression

ArticleInternational Journal of Bioscience and Biotechnology. 1(2):67-71 (2013)journal articl

燐酸アンモン投与による乳牛ケトージスの発病実験

乳牛のケトージスの発病機構は明らかでなかったが,著者の新しい説によると生体内の代謝系のうちTCAサイクル中のα-ケトグルタール酸からサクシニルCoAへの酸化的脱炭酸反応の代謝障害こそその原因であると云う。この反応は全体としてTDP, Lipoate, CoA, NAD, FADと共にMgイオンが補酵素として必要でありMgイオンの重要性はケトージス発病のうちでも大きな位置を占あている。 乳牛をMg欠乏の状態にするとケトージスが発病するかと云う点に関して,乳牛をMg欠乏にする方法として(1)Mg欠乏飼料を給与する,(2)摂取したMgを不溶性Mg塩に変化させて結果的にMg欠乏の状態にすると云う方法がある。乳牛に1Molの燐酸アンモンと重曹をルーメン内に投与するとルーメン液はアルカリ性になり下記の反応が生じて不溶性の燐酸アンモニウムマグネシウムが形成され1Molのマグネシ MgCl2+(NH4)2HPO4+NH3+6H2O→MgNH4PO4・6H2O+2NH4Cl ウムを不溶化する。 実験1において健康な泌乳中の乳牛に1Mol燐酸アンモンを7日間投与したところ,血清中のマグネシウムは低下し、無機燐も低下した。乳牛は食欲減退,乳量低下その他ケトージス様の症状を示したが尿アセトンは増加しなかったので実験を中止し,マグネシウムとグルコースを静脈注射することにより症状は消失し健康になった。実験II及びIIIにおいても同様に健康な乳牛に燐酸アンモンを7日間投与したのち乳牛の状態を観察したところ11日目になって尿中のアセトン100mg/dlが検出され,不消化軟便,胃腸蠕動微弱などの症状を併いケトージスの発病が確認された。燐酸アンモン投与により血清中のマグネシウム及び無機燐は低下した。これらの症状はマグネシウム塩の投与により回復した。 燐酸アンモンの投与によりルーメン内でマグネシウム塩の不溶化が生じ,血清マグネシウムが低下し次でケトージスが発病したがこの症状はマグネシウム投与により回復したのでケトージス発病機構においてMgが重要な役割を果している事を証明できる。Bovine ketosis must be caused by the disturbances of oxidative decarboxylation reactions from α-ketoglutarate to succinyl-CoA. These reactions require the presence of a considerable number of cofactors including TDP, Lipoate, CoA, NAD, and magnesium ion. The administration of ammonium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate into the rumen brought forth the reduction of magnesium absorption in digestive tract by the formation of insoluble magnesium salt in the rumen. Then the cow fell into the experimental ketosis with the lowering of blood serum magnesium level, accompanied by the ketotic clinical symptoms. After the confirmation of experimental ketosis occurrences the recovery experiment was performed by using magnesium injections, this way cow recovered from illness. If the essential metabolic disturbance of the ketosis is the inhibition of oxidative decarboxylation reaction, it should be admitted that the bovine ketosis is an aerobic metabolic disorder of the carbohydrates in the muscles

Residual mitral regurgitation after repair for posterior leaflet prolapse- Importance of preoperative anterior leaflet tethering

Background Carpentier's techniques for degenerative posterior mitral leaflet prolapse have been established with excellent long‐term results reported. However, residual mitral regurgitation ( MR ) occasionally occurs even after a straightforward repair, though the involved mechanisms are not fully understood. We sought to identify specific preoperative echocardiographic findings associated with residual MR after a posterior mitral leaflet repair. Methods and Results We retrospectively studied 117 consecutive patients who underwent a primary mitral valve repair for isolated posterior mitral leaflet prolapse including a preoperative 3‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography examination. Twelve had residual MR after the initial repair, of whom 7 required a corrective second pump run, 4 underwent conversion to mitral valve replacement, and 1 developed moderate MR within 1 month. Their preoperative parameters were compared with those of 105 patients who had an uneventful mitral valve repair. There were no hospital deaths. Multivariate analysis identified preoperative anterior mitral leaflet tethering angle as a significant predictor for residual MR (odds ratio, 6.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.8–33.8; P =0.0049). Receiver operator characteristics curve analysis revealed a cut‐off value of 24.3° (area under the curve, 0.77), indicating that anterior mitral leaflet angle predicts residual MR . In multivariate regression analysis, smaller anteroposterior mitral annular diameter ( P &lt;0.001) and lower left ventricular ejection fraction ( P =0.002) were significantly associated with higher anterior mitral leaflet angle, whereas left ventricular and left atrial dimension had no significant correlation. Conclusions Anterior mitral leaflet tethering in cases of posterior mitral leaflet prolapse has an adverse impact on early results following mitral valve repair. The findings of preoperative 3‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography are important for consideration of a careful surgical strategy. </jats:sec

Polymer field-effect transistors by a drawing method

We demonstrated the polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) utilizing regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophene)s (P3AT) films prepared by a drawing method. The P3AT film exhibited large optical dichroic ratio, which originated in the polymer backbones aligned to the drawing direction. In-plane anisotropy and enhancement of FET characteristics have been observed that are caused by molecular alignment. In the case of poly(3-dodecylthiophene), the hole mobility along the drawing direction was enhanced by a factor of 25 compared with that of spin-coated film

Solution-processed n-type organic thin-film transistors with high field-effect mobility

We report the performance of solution-processed n-type organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) based on C60 derivatives. Long-chain alkyl-substituted C60, C60-fused N-methylpyrrolidine-meta-C12 phenyl (C60MC12), was used as a semiconducting layer. The C60MC12-thin-film transistor shows high electron mobility of 0.067 cm2/V s in saturation regime. From the result of x-ray diffraction analysis, the C60MC12 active layer forms highly ordered crystalline film. We found that self-assemble ability of long alkyl chains plays an important role for fabrication of highly ordered crystalline film, leading to achievement of high electron mobility in solution-processed n-type OTFTs

Compressor with Turning-Paired Vane and Piston

With the aim of energy saving of room air conditioners, we are addressing higher efficiency of the rotary compressor that is used most in the world. We focused on a new rotary compressor equipped with a mechanism to restrict the rolling motion of the piston, and performed the dynamics analysis. The new rotary compressor has a small pillar at the tip of the vane and constitutes a turning pair of vane and piston, and it limits the rolling motion of the piston. By means of limiting the piston rotation, the heat transfer to the suction process from the compression chamber will be suppressed, and we can expect higher compression efficiency. Before examining the compression efficiency, we performed the dynamics analysis of this new rotary compressor and examined the forces and dynamic behavior of the components, and the mechanical efficiency of the compressor. Then we have following results. (1)We can clarify the contact point between the vane tip and piston in the turning pair by considering the equilibrium of forces and moments acting on the vane. (2)By reducing the diameter of the pillar at the vane tip, the vane tip friction loss is reduced, and the mechanical efficiency is improved. (3)The new rotary compressor has less vane tip friction loss and on the other hand greater friction loss between the vane side and the cylinder in comparison to the rolling piston rotary compressors. As a result, both compressors have almost the same mechanical efficiency