QUANTITATIVE ESTERIFICATION OF ROSIN BY REACTION OF SODIUM ROSINATE WITH ALKYL HALIDES

应用松香钠盐和卤代烃的反应在１１０℃于Ｎ－甲基吡咯酮中定量合成了各种松香酯。依卤代烃结构的差异，酯化时间在３０～２４００ｍｉｎ之间     

激光传感器定量测量木材表面粗糙度的研究

1IntroductionThe surface roughness of wood is one of the important parameters that can be used to operate the automatic woodcutting machinery,and alsoto evaluatethe quality of products . Withthe development of computertechnology,automaticmeasurement methods of the machined surface roughness have been proposed.Inrecent years ,newnon_contact methodshave been studiedto measure the roughness of machined surfaces .For example ,ultrasonic sensor was usedto measuringsurface roughness(Blessinget al.,…     

On-line determination of the grain angle using ellipse analysis of the laser light scattering pattern image

Under fixed cutting conditions, the surface finish roughness is correlated to the grain angle. However, the means of determining the grain angle automatically and accurately is still a challenge for on-line control of the router. It is therefore necessary to develop a new technology to determine the grain angle accurately and automatically. In this research, a laser light scattering pattern was used to accurately determine the grain angle. The light scattering pattern image was a quasi-ellipse caused by the grain direction and tracheid effect. A new modified Hough transform ellipse analysis technology was adopted to determine the ellipse parameters that could be used to determine the grain angle. The results indicated that the measured grain angle using the method proposed here was accurate and effective. The measured grain angle coincided with the real grain angle. There was an insignificant difference between the measured grain angle of Japanese beech (Fagus crenata blume) and that of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D.Don) under two machining conditions that gave planed or sawn finishes. However, the accuracy of the measured grain angle of sugi was better than that of Japanese beech for the planed finish, the accuracy of the measured grain angle of Japanese beech was better than that of sugi for the sawn finish, and the accuracy of the measured grain angle for planed samples was better than that for sawn samples of both sugi and Japanese beech.     

Impacts of land use and topography on the cooling effect of green areas on surrounding urban areas

Few studies have examined the influence of land use and terrain on the cooling effect of green areas on surrounding urban areas. We investigated the spatial distribution of the cooling effect of green areas on surrounding urban areas in Heiwa Park, Nagoya, central Japan, by applying surface temperature (T_s) information obtained from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image data. The cooling effect was found to extend in many directions into the urban areas. The spatial distribution of T_s showed that commercial areas interrupted the flow of park cooling, whereas other types of urban areas expanded park cooling more effectively. We hypothesise that this was the result of differences in geometric and thermal properties and anthropogenic heat release between commercial and other areas. The spatial distribution of T_s also reflected the effects of topography on park cooling. The green area at our study site was located on a hill, and the downward slope and valley terrain inside the park increased the cooling effect towards the surrounding urban areas. To improve the thermal environment of urban areas and the comfort levels of residents, effective utilisation of the cooling effect of green areas should be incorporated into urban designs that consider the effects of land use and topography.     

A preliminary experiment regarding the natural induction of gonadal development in female Japanese eels without hormone treatment

To test whether gonadal development of female eels could be promoted without any exogenous hormone treatments, we observed the effect of water temperature manipulation. After 3–5 months of water temperature treatments, three silver eels showed higher gonadosomatic indices (GSI). In particular, one eel in the 5–15°C fluctuating temperature treatment group (5°C daytime and 15°C night‐time) had the highest GSI of 8.5 with secondary yolk globule stage oocytes of large diameter (OD; 412 μm) after 3 months, which indicated definite gonadal development compared with those in the initial states (mean GSI, 2.4; OD, 226.7 μm). The 5–15°C fluctuating temperature and constant 5°C groups had low oocyte breakdown (atretic) rates. Because daily temperature fluctuations and cold daytime water are experienced by vertically migrating silver eels in the ocean, these temperature conditions may be key maturation process components that could be useful for hormone‐free artificial maturation.     

Preparation of β-1,3-glucanase from scallop mid-gut gland drips and its use for production of novel heterooligosaccharides

The mid-gut gland of scallop Patinopecten yessoensis has been discarded in scallop processing factories as a fishery waste and various attempts have been made to turn the waste into valuable resources. In the present study, we tried to use mid-gut gland drips from scallop as a source of β-1,3-glucanase. The mid-gut gland drips were collected in a local fishery factory in Yubetsu-cho, Hokkaido Prefecture. β-1,3-Glucanase was purified from the mid-gut gland drips by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by successive chromatography on Toyopearl Phenyl-650M and Toyopearl DEAE-650M. The scallop β-1,3-glucanase, named PyLam38 in the present study, showed a molecular mass of approximately 38 kDa by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and hydrolyzed laminarin, a β-1,3-glucan from Laminaria sp., producing laminaribiose and glucose with an optimal pH and temperature of 6.0 and 45°C, respectively. PyLam38 exhibited high transglycosylation activity toward various accepter substrates such as monosaccharides, alcohols and xylooligosaccharides. Thus, PyLam38 was found to be useful for the production of various novel heterooligosaccharides consisting of laminarioligosaccharides and various accepters.     

Physiological roles of FSH and LH in red seabream, Pagrus major

The duality of gonadotropins (GTHs), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), has been confirmed in most teleost species, but very little is known about their biological functions. To elucidate the physiological roles of FSH and LH in fish reproduction, the expression profiles of GTH subunit genes during gonadal development were analyzed in both male and female red seabream. Furthermore, in vitro studies were carried out to examine the effects of GTHs on steroid hormone production and cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) expression in red seabream gonads. In both sexes, LHβ mRNA was maintained at high levels from the early gametogenesis until spawning season, and declined with gonadal regression. Interestingly, FSHβ mRNA levels in males increased in parallel with testicular development, whereas those in female were remained low throughout oocyte development. From in vitro studies using purified red seabream FSH and LH, both GTHs had a similar potency in stimulating 11-ketotestosterone production by testicular slices, while the biological activity of FSH was much lower than that of LH in stimulating production of estradiol-17β by vitellogenic follicles. Moreover, expression of P450arom mRNA was induced by LH, but not FSH, in ovarian follicles in vitro. FSH was also ineffective in inducing maturational competence and final oocyte maturation. These results suggest that, unlike salmonids, FSH may play an important role during gametogenesis in male, but not female, red seabream, whereas LH may be involved in regulation of both early and late gametogenesis in both sexes.     

MiFish metabarcoding: a high-throughput approach for simultaneous detection of multiple fish species from environmental DNA and other samples

Fisheries Science - We reviewed the current methodology and practices of the DNA metabarcoding approach using a universal PCR primer pair MiFish, which co-amplifies a short fragment of fish DNA...     

GABA production and probiotic addition in Saccharina angustata (Hidakakombu) by fermentation of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus SN001

Saccharina angustata (Hidakakombu), commonly known as kelp, is an edible macroalgae mainly grown in the Hidaka region, Hokkaido. Hidakakombu is graded based on its shape and color. Low-grade Hidakakombu has low value and is distributed at a low price. Therefore, a method for adding value to low-grade Hidakakombu is needed. In this study, low-grade Hidakakombu was fermented by Lactiplantibacillus pentosus SN001 to add value. Fermentation of Hidakakombu was confirmed by an increase in the number of L. pentosus SN001 cells and a decrease in pH. Fermentation with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) increased the GABA content. L. pentosus SN001 in fermented Hidakakombu remained viable in simulated gastric and intestinal juices. Hidakakombu fermented by L. pentosus SN001 was shown to be a source of GABA and probiotics. Therefore, fermentation by L. pentosus SN001 was found to be an effective means of adding high value to low-grade Hidakakombu.