We report the data of liquid density, thermal properties including glass transition temperature, melting point, and decomposition temperature, surface tension, and shear viscosity for imidazolium-based dicationic ionic liquids with the anions of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)amide, tetrafluoroborate, and nitrate. To find the unique and general features of the dicationic ionic liquids, data of their corresponding monocationic ionic liquids are also summarized. The results of the dicationic ionic liquids showed that the density was high; the glass transition temperature and melting point were high, and they were thermally stable. Also the surface tension was large, and the shear viscosity was high in comparison with the reference monocationic ionic liquids. The data of the physical properties including liquid density, surface tension, and shear viscosity of the ionic liquids were also compared with that of alkanediols and alkyl alcohols to find the alkyene-linker and alkyl-group dependences in the ionic liquids and alcohols.

Recent studies have indicated that obesity is associated with hypertension, sodium retention, and increased sympathetic nervous system activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of renal nerves in mediating the sodium retention and hypertension associated with obesity. We determined the hemodynamic and renal excretory responses to a high-fat diet in control (n=6) and bilaterally renal-denervated (n=7) chronically instrumented dogs. After a control period of 8 days, dogs were placed on a high-fat diet for 5 weeks. In response to a high-fat diet, body weight increased from 19.9±2.2 to 29.9±2.4 kg in the control group and from 21.1±2.0 to 32.4±1.9 kg in the bilaterally renal-denervated group. Heart rate increased from 81±8 to 113±7 beats per minute in the control group and from 79±7 to 103±8 beats per minute in the bilaterally renal-denervated group. Arterial pressure increased significantly from 95±2 to 109±4 mm Hg in the control group. In contrast, 5 weeks of a high-fat diet in the bilaterally renal-denervated group did not significantly increase arterial pressure (which went from 87±3 to 90±4 mm Hg). Furthermore, the decrease in sodium excretion in response to the high-fat diet was significantly greater in the control group than in the bilaterally renal-denervated group. After 5 weeks of a high-fat diet, cumulative sodium retention was 455±85 mmol in the control group and only 252±47 mmol in the bilaterally renal-denervated group. Similar increases in glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow occurred in both groups in response to the high-fat diet. The results of this study indicate that the renal nerves play an important role in mediating the sodium retention and hypertension associated with obesity in dogs.

We have investigated phase-transition behaviors of a typical room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C(4)mim]PF(6)), using calorimetric and Raman spectroscopic techniques. Although there was some confusion on its phase behaviors in previous reports, our measurements with a laboratory-made calorimeter at a slow scanning rate (5 mK/s) have definitely revealed that [C(4)mim]PF(6) has three crystalline phases. From the Raman spectroscopic study, the conformations of the butyl group for these crystalline phases are assigned to gauche-trans, trans-trans, and gauche'-trans conformations in lower-energy order. It has been also shown that these three conformers coexist in the liquid, supercooled liquid, and glass states. It is concluded that all of the phase transitions of [C(4)mim]PF(6) except the glass transition are associated with conformational changes of the butyl group.

Many recombinant proteins have been successfully produced in silkworm larvae or pupae and used for academic and industrial purposes. Several recombinant proteins produced by silkworms have already been commercialized. However, construction of a recombinant baculovirus containing a gene of interest requires tedious and troublesome steps and takes a long time (3–6 months). The recent development of a bacmid, Escherichia coli and Bombyx mori shuttle vector, has eliminated the conventional tedious procedures required to identify and isolate recombinant viruses. Several technical improvements, including a cysteine protease or chitinase deletion bacmid and chaperone-assisted expression and coexpression, have led to significantly increased protein yields and reduced costs for large-scale production. Terminal N-acetyl glucosamine and galactose residues were found in the N-glycan structures produced by silkworms, which are different from those generated by insect cells. Genomic elucidation of silkworm has opened a new chapter in utilization of silkworm. Transgenic silkworm technology provides a stable production of recombinant protein. Baculovirus surface display expression is one of the low-cost approaches toward silkworm larvae-derived recombinant subunit vaccines. The expression of pharmaceutically relevant proteins, including cell/viral surface proteins, membrane proteins, and guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) coupled receptors, using silkworm larvae or cocoons has become very attractive. Silkworm biotechnology is an innovative and easy approach to achieve high protein expression levels and is a very promising platform technology in the field of life science. Like the “Silkroad,” we expect that the “Bioroad” from Asia to Europe will be established by the silkworm expression system.