No abstract

The electrostatic layer-by-layer adsorption technique was used to fabricate silver nanoparticle (AgP)-organic dye composite films on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrodes. The degree of immobilization for the AgPs on the ITO electrode could be controlled by changing the immersion time of the electrode in the AgP aqueous colloidal solution. Porphyrin and phthalocyanine were selected as the dye molecules here because the former has a strong absorption band around the plasmon band of isolated AgPs, while the latter has one around the plasmon band of aggregated AgPs (interparticle plasmon coupling). Remarkable enhancement in the photocurrent action and fluorescence excitation spectra was observed for both dyes when considerable amounts of AgPs were deposited onto the ITO electrode. The Raman scattering measurements suggested the effects of enhanced electric fields resulting from localized surface plasmon resonance and light scattering on the photocurrent enhancement. † Part of the "Hiroshi Masuhara Festschrift".

Plasma and red blood cell folate levels of healthy, well-nourished lactating mothers were measured. Folate levels in their breast-fed infants were significantly higher than in the mothers. No abnormal hematological findings were observed in either mothers or infants. Folate levels in breast milk and in the infants' plasma were significantly correlated. The mean breast-milk folate level was 141.4 ng/ml. The total daily folate intake for breast-fed infants was assessed at 14 to 25 micrograms/kg body weight. The plasma and red blood cell folate levels of the lactating mothers were significantly increased after oral administration of 1 mg pteroylmonoglutamate daily for 4 weeks. However, milk folate level did not change.

Recently, we found that in ovo feeding of l-leucine (l-Leu) afforded thermotolerance, stimulated lipid metabolism and modified amino acid metabolism in male broiler chicks. However, the effects of in ovo feeding of l-Leu on thermoregulation and growth performance until marketing age of broilers are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of in ovo feeding of l-Leu on body weight (BW) gain under control thermoneutral temperature or chronic heat stress. We measured changes of body temperature and food intake, organ weight, as well as amino acid metabolism and plasma metabolites under acute and chronic heat stress in broilers. A total of 168 fertilized Chunky broiler eggs were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups in experiments. The eggs were in ovo fed with l-Leu (34.5 µmol/500 µl per egg) or sterile water (500 µl/egg) during incubation. After hatching, male broilers were selected and assigned seven to nine replicates (one bird/replicate) in each group for heat challenge experiments. Broilers (29- or 30-day-old) were exposed to acute heat stress (30 ± 1°C) for 120 min or a chronic heat cyclic and continued heat stress (over 30 ± 1°C; ages, 15 to 44 days). In ovo feeding of l-Leu caused a significant suppression of enhanced body temperature without affecting food intake, plasma triacylglycerol, non-esterified fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucose, lactic acid or thyroid hormones under acute heat stress. Daily body temperature was significantly increased by l-Leu in ovo feeding under chronic heat stress. Interestingly, in ovo feeding of l-Leu caused a significantly higher daily BW gain compared with that of the control group under chronic heat stress. Moreover, some essential amino acids, including Leu and isoleucine, were significantly increased in the liver and decreased in the plasma by l-Leu in ovo feeding under acute heat stress. These results suggested that l-Leu in ovo feeding afforded thermotolerance to broilers under acute heat stress mainly through changing amino acid metabolism until marketing age.

A girl with hyperglycinemia of nonketotic type was presented. The liver biopsied from the patient was studied for glycine metabolism. It was found that the yield of 14C02 from glycine-l-14C and the rate of 11C incorporation into serine from glycine-1 -14 IC as well as glycine-2 14C were extremely low in the patient's liver than in control livers, while the patient's liver showed normal activities of serine-hydroxymethylase and serine-dehydratase.hese findings indicate that the primary lesion of hyperglycinemia of nonketotic type is a defect in the glycine cleavage reaction which gives rise to the formation of CO2, methylene-tetrahydrofolate and ammonia from glycine.