The content and distribution of steryl ferulates in wheat produced in Japan.

Oryzanol contained in rice bran is a complex mixture of steryl ferulates (SFs) with many identified health benefits. Recently, SF has been shown to exist in other cereals such as wheat, rye, and corn. In this study, SFs in several wheats produced in Japan were analyzed. For instance, SF content of whole wheat grain, Yumekaori (Japan) was 15.2 ± 1.4 mg-oryzanol-equivalent/100 g grain, while that of the imported one, 1CW (Canada) was 11.4 ± 1.3 mg-oryzanol-equivalent/100 g grain. The main SF components in the examined wheats were campesteryl ferulate, campestanyl ferulate, and sitostanyl ferulate. SF distribution in whole wheat grain was investigated using 14 fractions produced by a conventional test milling machine. SF was intensively accumulated in the four bran fractions (24 - 95 mg-oryzanol-equivalent/100 g bran fraction). These results suggest that the wheat bran would be an important source of SF.

Investigation of Supramolecular Nanofibers Formed from Multicomponent Nucleotide-Appended Bolaamphiphiles and Heteropolymeric DNA as a Template.

A novel DNA-templated multicomponent self-assembly of well-defined, molecular-level-controlled nanostructures in aqueous solution is demonstrated by using a thermal cycling procedure. The strategy uses four building blocks comprising 1,18-nucleotide-appended bolaamphiphiles (3'-phosphorylated adenosine, thymidine, guanosine, or cytidine connected to each end of an oligomethylene chain) and a heteropolymeric 58-mer containing a palindromic sequence as the template DNA. Atomic force microscopic observations, circular dichroism, and temperature-dependent absorption spectra revealed that the multicomponent self-assembly of the four nucleotide bolaamphiphiles and template DNA formed right-handed helical nanofibers with complementary base pairs during thermal cycling. Nanofibers were not formed if one of the four nucleotide bolaamphiphiles was missing, suggesting that construction of the helical nanofiber resulted from self-assembly of all four bolaamphiphiles to form matched base pairs sorted according to the sequence of the template DNA.

Ultrahigh-sensitivity infrared detection system using an InGaAs p-i-n photodiode with low dielectric polarization noise.

We developed a highly sensitive infrared photodetection system using an InGaAs p-i-n photodiode. The temperature and data sampling rate dependences of the readout noise were measured to determine the optimum temperature for low-noise detection. The optimum temperature for sampling rates below 100 Hz was 100 K, and the readout noise at 1 Hz was 2.5 e. The readout noise at 1 MHz and 140 K was 49.4 e. The light detection limit of the system was 8.2×10(-19) W at a wavelength of 1.3 µm. The spectral noise densities of a readout circuit were measured in order to determine the origin of noise.

Identification of novel oxidized levuglandin D2 in marine red alga and mouse tissue.

In animals, the product of cyclooxygenase reacting with arachidonic acid, prostaglandin(PG)H(2), can undergo spontaneous rearrangement and nonenzymatic ring cleavage to form levuglandin(LG)E(2) and LGD(2). These LGs and their isomers are highly reactive γ-ketoaldehydes that form covalent adducts with proteins, DNA, and phosphatidylethanolamine in cells. Here, we isolated a novel oxidized LGD(2) (ox-LGD(2)) from the red alga Gracilaria edulis and determined its planar structure. Additionally, ox-LGD(2) was identified in some tissues of mice and in the lysate of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-treated THP-1 cells incubated with arachidonic acid using LC-MS/MS. These results suggest that ox-LGD(2) is a common oxidized metabolite of LGD(2). In the planar structure of ox-LGD(2), H8 and H12 of LGD(2) were dehydrogenated and the C9 aldehyde was oxidized to a carboxylic acid, which formed a lactone ring with the hydrated ketone at C11. These structural differences imply that ox-LGD(2) is less reactive with amines than LGs. Therefore, ox-LGD(2) might be considered a detoxification metabolite of LGD(2).

Manipulation and observation of Ag photodoping patterns in GeS2 amorphous films by a dual functional laser scanning microfabrication/microscope system.

The photodoping phenomenon of Ag is one of the light-induced phenomena in GeS(2) amorphous chalcogenide films. It has potential as a process for fabricating photonic structures, such as waveguides and micro-optics, but its fabrication method is still under research. A dual functional laser scanning system integrating microfabrication and microscope systems was developed. In situ nanoscale fabrication by a UV laser effective for photodoping, and observation by a VIS wavelength laser, which does not affect the material, were demonstrated under same setup in one system. Several fine doped patterns were fabricated and the optical performances were evaluated. These results give the feasibility of forming various photonic structures.

Fast spectrometer for ground-based observations of OH rotational temperature.

A sensitive spectrometer has been developed for observing the hydroxyl airglow in the polar region. This spectrometer is designed to acquire spectra of the Meinel OH 8-4 band, which has the advantage of being relatively free of contamination from auroral emissions. The spectrometer consists of a fast optical system, a transmission plane grating, and a cooled CCD image sensor. The spectrometer can acquire spectra between 900 and 987 nm, from which the OH rotational temperature can be derived with an accuracy of ± 1.9 to 2.5 K for a 1 min? exposure. The spectrometer specifications and initial measurement results for the OH rotational temperature and intensity at Syowa Station (69.0 °S, 39.6 °E) in Antarctica are presented.