Visualization of Magnetization Transfer Effect in Polyethylene Glycol Impregnated Waterlogged Wood

To visualize the condition of impregnation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in waterlogged wood, we demonstrated magnetic transfer (MT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through a series of process of PEG impregnation. Three different samples were examined; reference wood, 10 cm cut wood, and 5 cm cut wood. During this study, the upper section sample was kept immersed in water, for the middle and lower sections the concentration of PEG solution was changed at 20 wt% intervals from 20 to 100 wt%. The impregnated periods of each PEG solution concentration were 14 days. Then, MR imaging were performed with/without MT pulse. The MTR value for both 10 cm- and 5 cm-samples were shown to decrease at 20 wt% PEG at peak concentration. When the sample volume was large, e.g., 10 cm-sample, the MTR value decreased to 100 wt% PEG concentration. In contrast, when a sample volume was small, e.g., 5 cm-sample, MTR value decreased to 60 wt% PEG concentration. In conclusion, MTR analysis makes it possible to nondestructively visualize and evaluate the inner condition concerning the PEG impregnation method for waterlogged wood.     

Visualization of flow past a square prism with cut-corners at the front-edge

Flow past a square prism with cut-corners at the front-edge is numerically and experimentally visualized to investigate a mechanism of drag reduction. An adaptive numerical scheme based on the vortex method is implemented for two values of the Reynolds number between 200 and 1,250, and the results are compared with experiments. Experimental visualization techniques include the hydrogen-bubble technique atRe=4,000 and the oil-flow technique atRe=10,000 for a global wake formation, and the aluminum-flake technique for transient flow at the early stage of motion atRe=1,250. A similar reattachment flow pattern is shown in a wide range of the Reynolds number between 200 and 10,000, which implies a possibility of the drag reduction in the Reynolds number being approximately lower than 8,000 unlike the previous findings.     

Statistical mixture design investigation of fractionated and total extracts from Erythrina speciosa Andrews leaves

The simplex centroid mixture design for the ethanol, dichloromethane, hexane and acetone solvents has been applied to the extraction of crude mass and the fiber, organic, neutral and basic fractions as well as the fractionation residues of Erythrina speciosa Andrews leaves. Binary and ternary synergic solvent interactions are seen to provide dominant contributions to the extraction of both crude mass and all the fractions. Quadratic and special cubic mixture models precisely predict the extracted quantities of each fraction and the residue as a function of the proportions of the four solvents. Different solvent mixtures are found to be the most efficient extractors for the different fractions: binary dichloromethane‐hexane mixtures for the fiber fraction, ternary ethanol‐dichloromethane‐acetone mixtures for the neutral fraction, binary ethanol‐dichloromethane mixtures for the organic fraction, crude extract and residue values and ternary ethanol‐dichloromethane‐hexane mixtures for the basic fraction. Principal component analysis shows that the ethanol‐dichloromethane mixtures are important for extracting large quantities of the basic and organic fractions as well as of the residue and crude masses.     

Effects of grafted polymer chains on lamellar membranes

We have investigated the effects of grafted polymer chains [poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)] on the bending modulus and the intermembrane interactions of lamellar membranes (C(12)E(5) water) by means of a neutron spin-echo and a small-angle x-ray scattering technique. In this study the hydrophilic chain takes the mushroom configuration on the membrane. The bending modulus of the polymer-grafted membranes increases in proportion to the square of the end to end distance of the polymer chain, which agrees well with the theoretical prediction of Hiergeist and Lipowsky [J. Phys. II 6, 1465 (1996)]. From the interlamellar interaction point of view, the mushroom layer is renormalized to the membrane thickness, which enhances the repulsive Helfrich interaction. When the size of the decorated polymer chain increases to the interlamellar distance, however, the mushroom is squeezed so as to optimize the interlamellar potential. Further increase of the grafted polymer size brings a lamellar-lamellar phase separation, where the grafted polymer chains are localized in the dilute lamellar phase and the concentrated lamellar phase forms the onionlike texture.     

Capillary electrophoretic system incorporating an UV/CL dual detector

We developed a capillary electrophoretic system incorporating an ultra-violet absorption (UV)/chemiluminescence (CL) dual detector, taking advantage of the CL reaction of luminol-hydrogen peroxide and the batch-type CL detection cell. UV detection was carried out using the on-capillary method while CL detection was performed using the end-capillary method. Examination of isoluminol isothiocyanate (ILITC) as a model sample revealed two main peaks with UV detection and one main peak with CL detection. The first peak in the UV detection data corresponded to the main peak in the CL detection data. We then determined that the ILITC sample included natural ILITC as well as an impurity that had absorption behavior but did not have CL properties and labeling ability. Furthermore, the components of a mixture containing glycine, glycylglycine and glycylglycylglycine, all labeled with ILITC, were well separated and detected using the present system. The present system easily, rapidly, and simultaneously produces useful information due to the presence of both UV and CL detectors.     

Resveratrol-derived stilbenoids and biological activity evaluation of seed extracts of Cenchrus echinatus L

A phytochemical study of the ethyl acetate fractions from the partition of seeds and roots methanol extracts of Cenchrus echinatus L. led to the isolation of three resveratrol-derived stilbenoids: pallidol (1), carasiphenol C (2) and nepalensinol B (3). The results of a topic anti-inflammatory evaluation, DPPH assay and antiproliferative activity against adenocarcinoma cells (Caco 2) are described.     

Japanese version of voice handicap index for subjective evaluation of voice disorder

Recently, the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), developed in the United States, has been highlighted as a means to assess a patient's perceptions of the severity of his or her voice disorder. The VHI is based on a self-administered questionnaire that quantifies the degree of a patient's disability related to his/her voice disorder. The questionnaire was translated into Japanese and applied to Japanese patients with various kinds of disordered voice or dysphonia. The results were analyzed and the usefulness discussed. In this study, 546 patients (281 males and 265 females) were included. Mean VHI scores were 36.2/120 in males and 44.1/120 in females. In the male patients, VHI scores were the highest among teens. However, VHI scores did not vary with age in the female patients. Patients with vocal fold paralysis, functional dysphonia, psychological dysphonia, and spasmodic dysphonia showed relatively high VHI scores, whereas those with laryngeal granuloma and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease showed low scores. In most diseases, functional and physiological scores were higher than emotional scores. In any treated patients, those with vocal nodule, vocal polyp, polypoid vocal fold, and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, VHI scores decreased after therapeutic intervention. These findings suggest that the Japanese VHI is a useful tool for monitoring a patient's psychological status, choosing appropriate treatment, and assessing the therapeutic outcome.     

Finite type invariants of order 3 for a spatial handcuff graph

We express a basis for the vector space of finite type invariants of order less than or equal to three for an embedded handcuff graph in a 3-sphere in terms of the linking number, the Conway polynomial, and the Jones polynomial of the sublinks of the handcuff graph.     

Measurement of membrane hydraulic conductivity of bovine carotid artery endothelial cells using a perfusion microscope

The osmotic properties of bovine carotid artery endothelial cells (BCAECs) associated with cryobiology were investigated using a perfusion microscope. These properties include the hydraulic conductivity (Lp) and its activation energy (ELp). The response of isolated cells was observed when the extracellular concentration increased from 0.15 M to 0.5 M NaCl at three different temperatures. The transient volumes of the cell were calculated from the measurements of the projected areas with an assumption of a spherical cell. The hydraulic conductivity (Lp) and the osmotically inactive volume (Vb) of BCAECs were simultaneously determined using nonlinear regression to fit the change of cell volume estimated by water transport equations to measured cell volumes. The Lp values were 0.26 +/- 0.08, 0.12 +/- 0.02, and 0.06 +/- 0.02 m/atm/min (mean +/- SD) at 23, 11 and 4 degree C, respectively, yielding the activation energy of Lp of 47.6 kJ/mol according to the Arrhenius relationship.