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Racemic alpha-substituted alpha-amino esters were hydrogenated into enantioenriched beta-amino alcohols through dynamic kinetic resolution with chiral ruthenabicyclic complexes. The reaction was carried out with a substrate/catalyst molar ratio of 200-1000 under 15 atm of H-2 at 25 degrees C to afford a variety of beta-substituted beta-aminoethanols in up to 96% ee (24 examples). The mechanistic studies including deuteration experiments suggested that the reaction proceeds with 1,2-hydride migration of the a-amino acetalate intermediate into the alpha-hydroxy imine followed by the continuous reduction of the imino compound, affording the amino alcohol product.

Hiroki Ishikawa,1 Ryuichi Nagashima,1 Yoshihiro Kuno,1,2 Hiraku Sasaki,3 Chikara Kohda,1 Masayuki Iyoda1,2 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan; 2Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 142-8666, Japan; 3Department of Health Science, Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Inzai, Chiba, 270-1695, JapanCorrespondence: Hiroki Ishikawa, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan, Tel +81-3-3784-8131, Fax +81-3-3784-3069, Email h_ishikawa@med.showa-u.ac.jpPurpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether NKT cells play an important role in preventing or exacerbating diseases caused by high-fat diet (HFD) using CD1d-knockout (KO) mice which lack NKT cells.Methods: Five-week-old male Balb/c (wild-type; WT) or CD1dKO mice were fed with control-diet (CTD) or HFD for 16 weeks.Results: The present study revealed four main findings. First, CD1dKO mice were susceptible to obesity caused by HFD in comparison to WT mice. Second, clinical conditions of fatty liver caused by HFD were comparable between CD1dKO mice and WT mice. Third, HFD-fed WT mice showed high levels of serum biochemical markers, involved in lipid metabolisms, in comparison to WT mice fed a CTD. Notably, the serum concentrations of ALT, T-CHO, TG and HDL-C in CD1dKO mice fed a HFD were almost comparable to those of CD1dKO mice fed a CTD. Fourth, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), CD36 of epididymal adipose tissue enhanced and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type (PCSK) 9 in serum decreased.Conclusion: NKT cells were responsible for protection against HFD-induced obesity. However, CD1dKO mice were resistant to serum biochemical marker abnormalities after HFD feeding. One possible explanation is

Injera, a round and spongy pancake-like flatbread with a sour taste, is one of the most representative foods of Ethiopia. Injera is a traditional food of Semitic-speaking peoples in northern Ethiopia, but the custom of eating injera was adopted by other ethnic groups in Ethiopia in the 20th century. Although studies on the kingdom of Aksum, likely founded in the first century in northern Ethiopia, revealed that teff was cultivated and the clay tray, resembling the griddle used for the preparation of injera, appeared around the sixth century, no scholars stated that injera was the staple food in the kingdom. Inadequate attention has been paid to the time period wherein injera became the staple food in northern Ethiopia. This study reveals that the custom of consuming teff spread over a period of 250 years from the 1520s; round teff flatbreads became the staple food of northern Ethiopia by the early 1750s. The prototype of the present-day injera might have been born during these times of change, and famines caused by wars and climate change was one of the reasons for teff flatbread becoming the staple food between the 16th and 18th centuries.