Search

Solvent-free synthesis encourages the design of processes and products that reduce the use and generation of hazardous chemicals. Given the importance of developing greener methodologies, we sought to determine the factors influencing the reaction temperature required for solvent-free, enzymatic synthesis of sugar esters such as trehalose (TRE) esters, using Novozyme 435 as the enzyme catalyst. The use of lauric acid (La) and ethyl laurate (LaEt) as acyl donors did not affect the activation temperature for the generation of trehalose diesters (TDEs), despite the differences in corresponding by-products (water and ethanol). However, when glucose (GLU) and La were employed as reaction substrates as a comparison, glucose monoester (GME) generation readily occurred at much lower temperatures than with the TRE esters, even without a water collection device. Moreover, when the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the sugar substrates increased, a higher reaction temperature was required. These results suggest that while the activation temperature of the reaction did not correlate with the boiling point of the by-product, it did correlate with the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the trehalose substrates. Thus, our work demonstrates the importance of the physical state of amorphous matrices in determining the optimal reaction temperature of a solvent-free sugar synthesis.

Background Resveratrol, a kind of polyphenol, has the potential to activate the longevity gene in several cells, in the same manner as calorie restriction. We investigated the effect of resveratrol and ω-3-line polyunsaturated fatty acid on surtuin 1 (SIRT1) gene expression in human monocytes (THP1) cells. Materials and Methods We examined the gene expression of THP1 cells using real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis. Resveratol, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaeanoic acid (DHA) as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid were added on THP1 cells. We observed the changes in the SIRT1 gene expression in those cells, under various doses of agents and in time courses. Then, we examined the interaction of glucose and mannitol on those agents׳ effect of the gene expression. The concentration range of glucose and mannitol was from 5-20 mM, respectively. Results The SIRT1 gene expression could be defined in 24 and 48 hours both in real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis and in Western blotting. Resveratrol showed SIRT1 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner in the range of 0-20 μM in both analyses. Although EPA at 10 μM showed marked increase in SIRT1 gene expression compared to control condition in Western blotting, this phenomenon was not in dose-dependent manner. DHA did not exhibit any augmentation of SIRT1 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner in the range of 0-20 μM in both analyses. We refined the dose-dependent inhibition of the SIRT1 gene expression within 20 mM glucose medium. Although 20 mM did not exhibit any inhibition, 10 μM resveratrol induced the gene expression compared to control medium. Both 5 and 15 mM mannitol medium did not significantly alter basic gene expression and 10 μM resveratrol-induced gene expression. Conclusions The present results suggest that resveratrol and EPA, but not DHA, markedly activated the SIRT1 gene expression in THP1 cells, and that high glucose medium could inhibit the basic gene expression, but not powerful resveratrol-induced gene expression, in those cells.

This paper deals with the linear system x ′ = A ( t ) x \mathbf {x}’ = A(t)\mathbf {x} with A ( t ) A(t) being a 2 × 2 2\times 2 matrix. The anti-diagonal components of A ( t ) A(t) are assumed to be periodic, but the diagonal components are not necessarily periodic. Our concern is to establish sufficient conditions for the zero solution to be attractive. Floquet theory is of no use in solving our problem, because not all components are periodic. Another approach is adopted. Some simple examples are included to illustrate the main result.

This research focused on the physical movements, which were the main expression media of traditional performances such as dance and sports, and tried to elucidate the spirit, which could be seen as one side of society and culture. It was common in anthropological research of traditional dances, sports, and events to explore an abstract idea from the outline information that surrounds the physical movement. This paper aimed to analyze the structure and function of the physical movement along the lines of the “black box” trend. Additionally, elucidation of the spirit from characteristic physical movements, that was extraction of the expressional intention, was a further aim.In order to approach such a subject, the traditional performance “Hotoke-Mai” was used as an example. Hotoke-Mai reflects the public spirit of Buddhism in the form of traditional dance.By the following viewpoints and methods, this paper analyzed seven Hotoke-Mai.I. The relative frequency of extraction patterns, and the whole composition of the movement element by body part.II. Moving phrases and stillness poses, and patterns of these combinations.III. Lines of physical movement in moving phrases.IV. The form of the dancers' hands.V. Formation changes the entire body, and direction of the individual body.As a result, the following things were found out. (1) With regard to overall tendencies of Hotoke-Mai, firstly, “limited patterns of movement repeated regularly”, where six moving patterns were made into a single composition, was seen. Secondly, quick rotational movement and jumping movement, which were dance movement frequently used by Japanese traditional performance, were not accepted. From these results, it was possible to interpret Hotoke-Mai as static dance.(2) It was possible to divide the dance into the Hotoke-Mai (A), characterized by upper limb movement, and the Hotoke-Mai (B), characterized by trunk movement. Each movement characteristic was as follows.(A) : a high center-of-gravity position, an erect body axis, the line of centripetal / curvilinear / circumductional of upper limbs, the pose of a specific hand, systematic formation change of the entire body and body directivity in all directions.(B) : a low center-of-gravity position, a flexional-extentional body axis, the line of the centrifugal / linear / swinging of trunk, nanba /henbai, the regular position, body directivity in four directions (90 degree conversions).(3) The characteristics of physical movement were interpreted as follows, and expressional intentions were extracted.The movement-characteristics of (A) were an erect body axis and a diversity of expression with the upper limbs. This was in line with the Japanese Buddha image, and in agreement with the characteristics of molding physical expression. In particular, it agreed with the pause of a specific hand, which could be regarded as a means of the in to express the concrete Buddha. That was, Hotoke-Mai (A) controlled the movement of the upper limbs, and was considered to direct an appearance of the Buddha effectively by making the movement of upper limbs concentrate the spectator's eye. Moreover, formation and physical directivity attained appreciation of all and could be said to hold strong spectator appeal. Therefore, the similar images of the “Buddha” would be interpreted as being expressed by physical movement as people visualize a statues or pictures of Buddha.There was a close resemblance between the movement characteristics of (B) and movements that bent and lengthened whole-body repeatedly, especially the trunk, as in the case of worshipping God or Buddha. It was considered that these were symbolically expressing magic-acts, such as hairei, harai, and shizume. Moreover, the formation and physical directivity could be

We used an 8987-EST collection to construct a cDNA microarray system with various genomics information (full-length cDNA, expression profile, high accuracy genome sequence, phenotype, genetic map, and physical map) in rice. This array was used as a probe to hybridize target RNAs prepared from normally grown callus of rice and from callus treated for 6 hr or 3 days with the hormones abscisic acid (ABA) or gibberellin (GA). We identified 509 clones, including many clones that had never been annotated as ABA-or GA-responsive. These genes included not only ABA- or GA-responsive genes but also genes responsive to other physiological conditions such as pathogen infection, heat shock, and metal ion stress. Comparison of ABA- and GA-responsive genes revealed antagonistic regulation for these genes by both hormones except for one defense-related gene, thionin. The gene for thionin was up-regulated by both hormone treatments for 3 days. The upstream regions of all the genes that were regulated by both hormones had cis-elements for ABA and GA response. We performed a clustering analysis of genes regulated by both hormones and various expression profiles that showed three notable clusters (seed tissues, low temperature and sugar starvation, and thionin-gene related). A comparison of the cis-elements for hormone response genes between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified cis-elements for dehydration-stress response or for expression of amylase gene as Arabidopsis gene-specific or rice gene-specific, respectively.