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Superconducting (SC) tokamak JT-60SA plays an essential role in fusion research and development by supporting and complementing the ITER project, providing directions to the DEMO design activity and fostering next generation scientists and engineers. Since the short circuit incident at the terminal joints of equilibrium field coil #1 during the integrated commissioning (IC) in March 2021, both EU and JA implementing agencies (IAs) have examined how to ensure safe operation of JT-60SA by mitigating the risk of possible discharge occurrence inside the cryostat. Based on the experience of the global Paschen tests, the IAs have established a strategy of risk mitigation measures, which is a combination of (i) reinforcement of insulation, (ii) avoiding unnecessary voltage application to the coil systems and (iii) immediate de-energization of the coils when deteriorated vacuum conditions are detected. Thanks to the considerable efforts of the Integrated Project Team members, the IC restarted in May 2023. After confirmation of the SC state of the coil systems (TF, EF and CS), the coil energization test and the plasma operation phase 1 (OP-1) started. The first plasma was successfully achieved on 23 October 2023 with a limited value of voltage and current applied to the coils. The plasma configuration control was also confirmed with low plasma current and low auxiliary heating power conditions. Based on the IO–F4E–QST collaboration, activities of JT-60SA have been shared with the IO and provided an important lesson for ITER assembly and commissioning, and will provide an outstanding contribution to fusion research at large. After OP-1, maintenance & enhancement phase 1 (M/E-1) starts from January 2024, in which in-vessel components are installed, and heating and diagnostic systems are extensively upgraded to allow a high power heating experiment planned in OP-2. In order to make the best use of JT-60SA, a newly organized JT-60SA experiment team will refine the research plan for the future high heating power operation phase.

Grain-boundary degradation via liquid-metal embrittlement (LME) is a prominent and long-standing failure process in next generation advanced high-strength steels. Here we reveal, well ahead of the crack tip, the presences of nano-scale grains of intermetallic phases in Zn-infiltrated but uncracked grain boundaries with scanning- and 4D transmission electron microscopy. Instead of the often-reported Zn-rich Fe-Zn intermetallics, the nano-scale phase in the uncracked infiltrated grain boundaries is identified as the Γ-phase, and its presence reveals the local enhancement of strain heterogeneities in the grain boundary network. Based on these observations, we argue that intermetallic phase formation is not occurring after cracking and subsequent liquid Zn infiltration but is instead one of the primary nanoscopic drivers for grain-boundary weakening and crack initiation. These findings shift the focus of LME from micro- and meso-scale crack investigations to the very early stages immediately following Zn diffusion, after which secondary phase nucleation and growth emerge as the root-cause for failure.

Objectives: Recently, “sense of coherence” (SOC) as a concept of stress-coping, has been gaining considerable attention. Although many studies have investigated the factors related to strong SOC, we found little evidence about the associations between SOC and habits that are easy to perform in everyday life. The aim our study was to examine the prevalence of workers who engage in forest walking and greenspace walking and examine their association with SOC score. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: An anonymous, self-report web questionnaire was conducted in November 2017. The study population included 19481 workers belonging to the Tsukuba Science City Network and data of 6466 participants (3965 men and 2501 women) were analyzed. Results: The percentage of participants who engage in forest and greenspace walking at least once a year were 55.9% and 75.9%, respectively. Associations between forest/greenspace walking and SOC score were calculated using Chi-squared tests. Multinomial logistic regression analyses with SOC score group (strong/middle/weak) as a dependent variable and forest/greenspace walking as explanatory variables were performed. Statistically significant positive associations were observed between strong SOC and those who engaged in forest/greenspace walking after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. The odds ratios for strong SOC were 3.65 (95% CI ​= ​1.70–7.85) for forest walking at least once a week and 2.12 for greenspace walking (95% CI ​= ​1.54–2.92) at least once a week. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that forest/greenspace walking may enhance workers’ stress-coping skills.

A silver-indium-cadmium (Ag-In-Cd, or AIC) alloy with a 1 eV high neutron cut-off energy was originaly developed as a decoupler to provide a narrow neutron pulse width with a short tail for the J-PARC 1-MW short-pulsed spallation neutron source. As a result of later studies, gold (Au) was chosen as a substitute for Ag for the production of spare decoupled moderators and reflector in order to reduce residual radioactivity thus easing handling and disposal of the spent moderator and reflector. The decoupler material Au-In-Cd (AuIC) was therefore investigated and developed. To implement it into an actual moderator-reflector assembly many critical engineering issues needed to be resolved with regard to large-sized bonding between AuIC and aluminum alloy A5083 by the hot isostatic pressing process (HIP). The HIP process for AuIC and aluminum was investigated in terms of surface condition, size, and heat capacity. Implementation of an AuIC decoupler into a spare reflector assembly was successfuly achieved and will result in a remarkable reduction of radioactivity compared to AIC without sacrificing neutronic performance.

The industrial processing of crude propolis generates residues. Essential oils (EOs) from propolis residues could be a potential source of natural bioactive compounds to replace antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants in pig production. In this study, we determined the antibacterial/antioxidant activity of EOs from crude organic propolis (EOP) and from propolis residues, moist residue (EOMR), and dried residue (EODR), and further elucidated their chemical composition. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their volatile profile was tentatively identified by GC-MS. All EOs had an antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus plantarum as they caused disturbances on the growth kinetics of both bacteria. However, EODR had more selective antibacterial activity, as it caused a higher reduction in the maximal culture density (D) of E. coli (86.7%) than L. plantarum (46.9%). EODR exhibited mild antioxidant activity, whereas EOMR showed the highest antioxidant activity (ABTS = 0.90 μmol TE/mg, FRAP = 463.97 μmol Fe2+/mg) and phenolic content (58.41 mg GAE/g). Each EO had a different chemical composition, but α-pinene and β-pinene were the major compounds detected in the samples. Interestingly, specific minor compounds were detected in a higher relative amount in EOMR and EODR as compared to EOP. Therefore, these minor compounds are most likely responsible for the biological properties of EODR and EOMR. Collectively, our findings suggest that the EOs from propolis residues could be resourcefully used as natural antibacterial/antioxidant additives in pig production.

Neutron diffraction experiments have been performed on single crystalline samples of CePtSi3. We found that the incommensurate magnetic propagation vector τ1 = (±0.283, 0, 0) in the phase I (2.2 ∼ 4.8 K) switches to the commensurate vectors τ2 = (±0.25, 0, 0) and τ3 = (±0.25, 0, ±1) in the phase III (∼ 2.8 K) at zero field. Although the magnetic structure of CePtSi3 in the phase I is a spin density wave similar to those in CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, and CePdSi3, the magnetic structure in the phase III is commensurate unlike other CeTSi3 (T = Rh, Ir, Pd) compounds.

Novae are generally considered to be hot astronomical objects and show effective temperatures up to 10,000 K or higher at their visual maximum. But, it is theoretically predicted that the outer envelope of the nova outflow can become cool enough to form molecules that would be dissociated at high temperatures. We detected strong absorption bands of C2 and CN radicals in the optical spectrum of Nova V2676 Oph, a very slow nova with dust formation. This is the first report of the detection of C2 and the second one of CN in novae during outburst. Although such simple molecules are predicted to form in the envelope of the outflow based on previous studies, there are few reports of their detection. In the case of V2676 Oph, the presence of the molecular envelope is considered to be very transient, lasting several days only.

Spectroscopic and photometric monitoring observations of nova Apl 2012 (V1724 Apl) were conducted at Koyama Astronomical Observatory, Fujii-Kurosaki Observatory and Bisei Astronomical Observatory. The nova was initially considered as an outbursting pre-main-sequence young stellar object. Our monitoring observations have revealed the nova to be a Fe II type classical nova. The temporal evolution of spectra and light curves of the nova were similar to those of a slow nova (e.g., V1280 Sco and V5558 Sgr). We observed no evidence of molecule formation in V1724 Aql in contrast with V2676 Oph in which dust formation occurred after the molecular formation in the nova outflow.

Coleoid cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, and octopus) have the largest and most complex brains of all invertebrates and show behavioral abilities similar to those of vertebrates. Among the coleoids, the oval squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana forms well-structured schools that are indicative of sociality. These behaviors are reflected in aspects of the well-developed brain. In this study, we focused on the role of the cephalopod brain in complex behavior. In order to reveal the network of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in coleoids, we examined thmmunohistochemical localization of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which is the synthetic enzyme of GABA, in the brain of young S. lessoniana. We found that GABAergic neurons and their axons were distributed throughout the brain. GABA neurons were abundantly localized in the inferior frontal lobe, which is involved in controlling arm motions, and in the subesophageal masses, which are lower and intermediate centers of action. GABAergic fibers were abundantly localized in the tract that runs from the superior frontal lobe to the vertical lobe. These results suggested the involvement of GABA in both cognitive behaviors (such as learning and memory) and in movement.

An experimental investigation on time-dependent motion of a flexible free-hanging circular cantilever subjected to uniform cross-flows has been carried out. The free-end condition cantilever has a 34.4 aspect ratio and a low mass ratio of about 1.24. The cylinder freely oscillates in both inline and transverse to the flow. Reynolds number varied from 10,800 to 37,800. The “jump phenomenon” was also found in the inline motion of the cylinder that agrees well with an existing comparable work, even occurred at lower flow velocity, Ur, due to distinct conditions of the test. At high flow velocities, the 3rd higher harmonic frequencies of the cylinder transverse response became predominant that produce quite different motion characteristics compared to the other existing comparable works with 2-dimensional bottom-end condition, even same in bidirectional motion aspect. Generally, the results suggested that the flexible free-hanging cantilever generate different vortex wake mode than either, a uniform (a short-rigid flexibly-mounted cylinder) or a linear amplitude variation along the span case (a pivoted cylinder).

We investigated measures for identification of heterozygous lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency in unrelated subjects with primary type IV hyperlipoproteinemia in order to acquire a helpful clue for understanding the correlation between hypertriglyceridemia and the status of being a heterozygous carrier of an LPL gene variant. Identification of heterozygous LPL deficiency was performed by monitoring the immunoreactive LPL mass in postheparin plasma (PHP) using our developed sandwich-enzyme immunoassay technique for first screening. Then, in subjects found to have half or less than half of the control LPL mass value in PHP, the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism method was used to detect LPL gene aberrations as a second screening. This approach was evaluated as being useful as it succeeded in identifying a subject (proband KD) with heterozygous LPL deficiency. The mutation in the LPL gene of proband KD was newly characterized as a nucleotide C972 to A transversion in exon 6, resulting in substitution of a premature termination codon (TGA) for Cys239 (TGC). This nonsense mutation, designated as LPLobama, creates an MboI restriction site and eliminates an HgiAI restriction site, and this allows rapid screening of subjects with type IV as well as type I hyperlipoproteinemia for the mutation. The homozygous state for the LPLobama allele resulted in neither detectable LPL activity nor immunoreactive LPL mass in PHP, and this was seen in two of proband KD's siblings.

We have developed a sandwich-enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the quantification of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) in human postheparin plasma (PHP) using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the corresponding enzymes purified from human PHP. The sandwich-EIA for LPL was performed by using the combination of two distinct types of anti-LPL MAbs that recognize different epitopes on the LPL molecule. The immunoreactive mass of LPL was specifically measured using a beta-galactosidase-labeled anti-LPL MAb as an enzyme-linked MAb, an anti-LPL MAb linked with the bacterial cell wall as an insolubilized MAb, and purified human PHP-LPL as a standard. The sandwich-EIA for HTGL was carried out by using two distinct anti-HTGL MAbs that recognize different epitopes on HTGL. The limit of detection was 20 ng/ml for LPL and 60 ng/ml for HTGL. Each method yielded a coefficient of variation of less than 6% in intra- and inter-assays, and a high concentration of triglyceride did not interfere with the assays. The average recovery of purified human PHP-LPL and -HTGL added to human PHP samples was 98.8% and 97.5%, respectively. The immunoreactive masses of LPL and HTGL in PHP samples, obtained at a heparin dose of 30 IU/kg, from 34 normolipidemic and 20 hypertriglyceridemic subjects were quantified by the sandwich-EIA. To assess the reliability of the measured mass values, they were compared with the corresponding enzyme activities measured by selective immunoinactivation assay using rabbit anti-human PHP-LPL and -HTGL polyclonal antisera. Both assay methods yielded a highly significant correlation in either normolipidemic (r = 0.945 for LPL; r = 0.932 for HTGL) or hypertriglyceridemic subjects (r = 0.989 for LPL; r = 0.954 for HTGL). The normal mean (+/- SD) level of lipoprotein lipase mass and activity in postheparin plasma was 223 +/- 66 ng/ml and 10.1 +/- 2.9 mumol/h per ml, and that of hepatic triglyceride lipase mass and activity was 1456 +/- 469 ng/ml and 26.4 +/- 8.7 mumol/h per ml, respectively. The present sandwich-enzyme immunoassay methods make it possible to study the molecular nature of LPL and HTGL in PHP from patients with either primary or secondary hyperlipoproteinemia.

A cerebroside fraction prepared from the mycelia of Schizophyllum commune was further fractionated into five components (I-V) by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Fruiting-inducing activity was found in I-IV but not in V. By gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses it was shown that these fractions contained: I, a mixture of N-2'-hydroxypentadecanoyl-1-O-glucosyl-nonadecasphingadienine++ + and N-2'-hydroxyhexadecanoyl-1-O-glucosyl-sphingadienine; II, (4E,8E)-N-D-2'-hydroxyhexadecanoyl-1-O-beta-D-glucopyr anosyl-9-methyl-4,8- sphingadienine (Kawai and Ikeda. 1983. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 754: 243-248); III, N-2'-hydroxyheptadecanoyl-1-O-glucosyl-nonadecasphingadienine++ +; IV, N-2'-hydroxyoctadecanoyl-1-O-glucosyl-nonadecasphinadienine; V, (4E,8E)-N-2'-hydroxytetracosanoyl-1-O-beta-glucopyrano syl-9-methyl-4,8- sphingadienine. The only structural difference observed between biologically active and inactive cerebrosides was the chain length of acyl moiety; the cerebroside having an acyl chain of 24 carbon atoms was inactive.

A brief outline is given of the results of surface temperature and salinity to the west and southwest of Cabo Frio obtained in August of 1971 with a continuous recording Thermo-Salinograph (Bissett-Berman, Model 6600T). A rapid change was observed in the field distribution of temperature from 21.5-21.9ºC to 15-21ºC, and similary change in the distribution of salinity from 34.1-35.0º/oo to 35.3-36.0º/oo, over a time scale of seven days. The changes were accredited to the process of upwelling at the coastal region under the influence of E and NE winds. The occurrence of a surface counter-current moving upwind was detected. This anomaly, not explained on the basis of the Ekman's classical theory, was qualitatively explained as the result of a horizontal divergence in the wind-stress field.A apresentação cronológica quase-sinótica da distribuição da temperatura e da salinidade de superfície mostrou a ausência e estágios do desenvolvimento do fenômeno de ressurgência na região costeira a oeste de Cabo Frio. O vento, com direção variável entre E e NE e com velocidade máxima de 30 nos ( ≅ 15 m/s), foi considerado como o seu principal agente gerador. Durante a evolução do fenômeno de ressurgência observou-se um núcleo de alta salinidade ( ≅ 35.9º/oo) fluindo contra o vento com uma velocidade media de 1/4 de no. A causa desse movimento foi qualitativamente explicada como um efeito dinâmico induzido pela não uniformidade do campo de vento. A variação local observada na costa e a amostragem espacial na região costeira, mostraram que a primeira influencia da massa de água ressurgida aparece contígua a costa e se distribui quase uniformemente de Cabo Frio até a Ponta de Saquarema. Contudo, no que julgamos ser um estagio final quase estacionário, o núcleo de ressurgência identificado pelo mínimo de temperatura de superfície, se localizava na Ponta de Saquarema com sua influencia sendo observada na direção sudoeste e a mais de 30 mn de distancia à costa.

We report a case of isolated extramedullary relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that presented as granulocytic sarcoma of both breasts, with no other signs of relapse even in the bone marrow. The T2 weighted coronal images on MR showed both multiple ill-defined heterogeneous hyperintense masses relative to breast parenchyma; these masses were seen also with a visual washout enhancement. Pathohistological study showed infiltration by myeloblasts, which were relatively uniform in appearance, featuring round or oval nuclei and a small cytoplasm. After chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both breast masses disappeared on MR images. Although the MR findings of granulocytic sarcoma were indistinguishable from those of multicentric carcinoma and malignant lymphoma, the MR images were useful for evaluating and monitoring responses to the treatments, as well as for detecting non-palpable relapsed tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, the main source of dioxins is incinerators. This study examined the relationship between the distance of schools from municipal waste incineration plants and the prevalence of allergic disorders and general symptoms in Japanese children. Study subjects were 450,807 elementary school children aged 6–12 years who attended 996 public elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture in Japan. Parents of school children completed a questionnaire that included items about illnesses and symptoms in the study child. Distance of each of the public elementary schools from all of the 37 municipal waste incineration plants in Osaka Prefecture was measured using geographical information systems packages. Adjustment was made for grade, socioeconomic status and access to health care per municipality. Decreases in the distance of schools from the nearest municipal waste incineration plant were independently associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze, headache, stomach ache, and fatigue (adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] for shortest vs. longest distance categories =1.08 [1.01–1.15], 1.05 [1.00–1.11], 1.06 [1.01–1.11], and 1.12 [1.08–1.17], respectively). A positive association with fatigue was pronounced in schools within 4 km of the second nearest municipal waste incineration plant. There was no evident relationship between the distance of schools from such a plant and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis. The findings suggest that proximity of schools to municipal waste incineration plants may be associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze, headache, stomach ache, and fatigue in Japanese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of sodium-immersed-type Electromagnetic Pumps (EMP) is expected to improved reliability, safety, maintainability, and construction cost of the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) compared with the conventional mechanical pumps. To realize the EMP, establishment of a high-temperature-resistant electrical insulating system is indispensable. A mica-alumina combination is selected for the insulating system at temperatures higher than 500°C. Using this insulating system, an aging pretest was performed. The aging condition was to apply 1.5-kV ac voltage in the nitrogen atmosphere at 550°C for 4000 hours. The dielectric properties before and after the aging were measured to understand the tendency of temporal change in the aging. In this result, the dielectric after aging was improved compared with the initial performance. The curious phenomenon was clarified to be caused by a decrease of organic component in the insulation, which remained due to incomplete burning. Also, the possibility of thermal runaway was considered to be higher as a dielectric breakdown mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-ordinated polarity of cells within the plane of a single tissue layer (planar polarity) is intensively studied in animal epithelia but has only recently been systematically analysed in plants. The polar positioning of hairs in the root epidermis of Arabidopsis thaliana provides an easily accessible system for the functional dissection of a plant-specific planar polarity. Recently, mutants originally isolated in genetic screens for defects in root hair morphogenesis and changes in the sensitivity to or the production of the plant hormones auxin and ethylene have identified players that contribute to polar root hair placement. Here, we summarize and discuss recent progress in research on polar root hair positioning from studies in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of V339 Del were performed in the optical wavelength region every night from UT 2013 August 15.49 to 21.23 (corresponding to the pre- and near-maximum phases of the nova) to reveal the asymmetry of the nova ejecta shortly after the explosion. Observed polarization spectra showed intrinsic line polarization for Hα, O i λ777.3 nm, Si ii λλ634.7, 637.1 nm, in addition to intrinsic continuum polarization. The line polarization of Hα on August 15.49 (+0.91 day post-discovery) indicates an expanding nova ejecta, which contains a torus surrounding the nova photosphere. The line polarization of O i λ777.3 nm is also consistent with this hypothesis. The line polarizations of Si ii λλ634.7, 637.1 nm might indicate a variation in the photospheric temperature of the nova on the same date. Based on the day-by-day changes of the intrinsic continuum and line polarization found in the observations, it can be concluded that the effective geometry of V339 Del had changed from a torus-dominant to a bipolar-shaped geometry between +0.91 and +2.15 days post-discovery. The intrinsic continuum polarization became weaker after +2.93 days due to the larger size of the expanding nova ejecta. This is consistent with high-angular observations of V339 Del with a near-infrared interferometer and with a recent nova ejecta model that can explain the γ-ray emission and dust formation found in V339 Del. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition dependence of gravitational constant G is measured at the millimeter scale to test the weak equivalence principle, which may be violated at short range through new Yukawa interactions such as the dilaton exchange force. A torsion balance on a turning table with two identical tungsten targets surrounded by two different attractor materials (copper and aluminum) is used to measure gravitational torque by means of digital measurements of a position sensor. Values of the ratios and were and , respectively; these were obtained at a center to center separation of 1.7 cm and surface to surface separation of 4.5 mm between target and attractor, which is consistent with the universality of G. A weak equivalence principle (WEP) violation parameter of at the shortest range of around 1 cm was also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a new micro-discharge plasma (MDP)-based gene transfection method, which transfers genes into cells with high efficiency and low cytotoxicity; however, the mechanism underlying the method is still unknown. Studies revealed that the N-acetylcysteine-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity completely abolished gene transfer. In this study, we used laser-produced plasma to demonstrate that gene transfer does not occur in the absence of electrical factors. Our results show that both electrical and chemical factors are necessary for gene transfer inside cells by microplasma irradiation. This indicates that plasma-mediated gene transfection utilizes the synergy between electrical and chemical factors. The electric field threshold required for transfection was approximately 1 kV m−1 in our MDP system. This indicates that MDP irradiation supplies sufficient concentrations of ROS, and the stimulation intensity of the electric field determines the transfection efficiency in our system. Gene transfer by plasma irradiation depends mainly on endocytosis, which accounts for at least 80% of the transfer, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a dominant endocytosis. In plasma-mediated gene transfection, alterations in electrical and chemical factors can independently regulate plasmid DNA adhesion and triggering of endocytosis, respectively. This implies that plasma characteristics can be adjusted according to target cell requirements, and the transfection process can be optimized with minimum damage to cells and maximum efficiency. This may explain how MDP simultaneously achieves high transfection efficiency with minimal cell damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A micro-air corona discharge, which is one of the plasmas successfully used for gene transfection in terms of high transfection and cell viability rates, is characterized by optical emission spectroscopy. This non-equilibrium low temperature plasma is generated from the tip of a pulsed high voltage micro-tube (0.2 mm inner diameter and 0.7 mm for outer diameter) placed 2 mm in front of a petri dish containing deionized water and set on a grounded copper plate. The electron temperature, equal to about 6.75 eV near the electrode tip and decreased down to 3.4 eV near the plate, has been estimated, with an error bar of about 30%, from an interesting approach based on the experimental ratio of the closest nitrogen emission spectra of (FNS) at 391.4 nm and N2(SPS) at 394.3 nm. This is based on one hand on a balance equation between creations and losses of the excited upper levels of these two UV spectra and on the other hand on the electron impact rates of the creation of these upper levels calculated from solution of the multi-term Boltzmann equation. Then using the measured Hα spectrum, electron density ne has been estimated from Stark broadening versus the inter-electrode position with an average error bar of about 50%. ne  ≈  1  ×  1015 cm−3 is near the tip coherent with the usual magnitude of electron density in the streamer head developed near the tip of the corona discharges. Rotational temperatures, estimated from comparison of synthetic and experimental spectra of OH(A  −  X), (FNS) at 391.4 nm, and N2(SPS) at 337 nm are respectively equal to 2350 K, 2000 K and 700 K in the gap space. This clearly underlines a thermal non-equilibrium of the corresponding excited species generated inside the thin streamer filaments. But, due to the high dilution of these species in the background gas, these high rotational temperatures do not affect the mean gas temperature that remains close to 300 K. Then, (FNS) for (0,0) and (1,1) head bands spectra at 391.4 nm and 388.4 nm allowed estimation of the vibrational temperature Tvib from around 3000 K near the tip electrode up to about 6500 K near the plate. Last, the spatial variation along the z axis of the nitrogen ion density has been determined, with an error bar of about 50%, from the relative intensities of the same close wavelength spectra (N2(SPS) at 394.3 nm and (FNS) at 391.4 nm) when assuming a prior calibration of 1015 cm−3 at z  =  0 mm taken from literature streamer dynamics simulations. The present experimental plasma characteristics are used to better understand the mechanisms and the processes involved during plasma gene transfections in a Monte Carlo poration model previously developed to simulate the membrane permeabilization and pore formation when the cells are impacted by the present micro-air plasma fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic (Tg)-cloned pigs expressing fluorescent proteins are very useful in research such as cell or tissue transplantation studies. In this study, we produced Tg-cloned pigs with an orange fluorescent protein, humanized Kusabira-Orange (huKO), and analyzed the characteristics of these pigs. Fetal fibroblast cells transduced with huKO gene by a gene silencing-resistant retroviral vector, pDΔNhuKO (Suzuki et al. 2002 J. Neurochem. 82, 953–960) were used as nuclear donors. Recipient cytoplasts were prepared using oocytes matured in vitro in NCSU23. The nuclear transfer (NT) embryos were transferred into oviducts of estrus-synchronized recipient gilts after culture in PZM-5 for 1 or 2 days. Cloned pigs obtained were analyzed by Southern blotting for the transgene integration. A total of 23 organs and tissues, including brain, eye, internal and reproductive organs, skin, skeletal muscle, and cartilage were examined by fluorescence stereomicroscopy. Cryo- and paraffin-embedded tissue sections were also prepared to examine fluorescence expression. Immunofluorescent staining of brain cryosection and flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood cells were performed to identify huKO-expressing cells. Transfer of 429 NT embryos into 4 recipients resulted in 18 (4.2%) cloned offspring. Southern blotting analysis of the cloned pigs confirmed transduction of 2 to 17 copies of the huKO gene in each pig. Autopsy was performed in 6 pigs, and orange fluorescence was confirmed in all the tissues and organs examined in each pig. In addition, prominent orange fluorescence was detected in pancreatic islets and renal glomeruli, indicating that these transgenic pigs are ideal for islet cell transplantation studies. Expression of huKO was also detected in neurons, microglia, and astrocytes in the brain, and granulocytes, monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, and platelets in the peripheral blood cells, whereas the expression level in red blood cells was lower. Re-cloning was performed using primary culture fibroblast cells established from 2 Tg-cloned pigs. Transfer of 300 re-cloned embryos into 4 recipients resulted in 3 pregnancies. A re-cloned fetus at Day 44 of gestation showed systemic fluorescence. These results demonstrate that the retroviral vector pD?NhuKO is resistant to gene silencing in pigs, that transduction and expression of the huKO gene had no lethal effects on fetal development, and that a Tg-cloned pig expressing orange fluorescence can be produced by NT of fetal fibroblast cells transduced with the huKO gene.This study was supported by PROBRAIN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most distinctive feature of the superconducting magnet system for JT-60SA is the optimized coil structure in terms of the space utilization as well as the highly accurate coil manufacturing, thus meeting the requirements for the steady-state tokamak research: a conceptually new outer inter-coil structure separated from the casing is introduced to the toroidal field coils to realize their slender shape, allowing large-bore diagnostic ports for detailed plasma measurements. A method to minimize the manufacturing error of the equilibrium-field coils has been established, aiming at the precise plasma shape/position control. A compact butt-joint has been successfully developed for the Central Solenoid, which allows an optimized utilization of the limited space for the Central Solenoid to extend the duration of the plasma pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation of mammalian metaphase-II (M-II) oocytes is still impractical compared to that of early stage embryos. In this study we examined the effects of delipation and mitotic spindle stabilization in order to improve the post-vitrification survival rate of in vitro-matured (IVM) porcine oocytes at the M-II stage. Cumulus–oocyte complexes that had been collected from slaughterhouse ovaries were matured in vitro in NCSU23 supplemented with 0.6 mm cysteine, 10 ng mL–1 epidermal growth factor (EGF), 10% porcine follcular fluid (PFF), and 10 IU mL–1 eCG and hCG. The denuded M-II oocytes were vitrified in the presence of 30% ethylene glycol and 0.5 m sucrose using the minimum volume cooling (MVC) method with a MVC plate (Cryotop; Kitazato Supply, Tokyo, Japan). Vitrified embryos were rewarmed by immersing the MVC plate directly into rewarming solution containing 1 m sucrose and 20% calf serum at 39C for 1 min, followed by stepwise dilution of the cryoprotectants. We compared the effects of previtrification treatments, namely, (1) delipation, (2) mitotic spindle stabilization, (3) delipation + mitotic spindle stabilization, and (4) no treatment. For delipation, we used a noninvasive method (Esaki et al. 2004 Biol. Reprod. 71, 432–437) that we had published previously with slight modification. The embryos were treated with 4% trypsin at 38C for approximately two min to expand the zona pellucida, and then centrifuged (12 000g, 38C 23 min) with 7.5 µg mL–1 cytochalasin B to polarize cytoplasmic lipid droplets within the perivitelline space. For mitotic spindle stabilization, M-II oocytes were vitrified in the presence of 1 µm paclitaxel. After the oocytes were rewarmed, electrical activation of the oocytes (150 V mm–1, 100 µs, one time) was carried out to induce parthenogenesis. These parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in PZM-5 for 7 days, and the number of vitrified embryos that developed into blastocysts with respect to each treatment was determined. The blastcyst formation rate and mean cell numbers of the blastcysts were compared among the treatment groups (chi-square test, Tukey''s test). Of the 50 M-II oocytes that had been vitrified without pretreatment, only one oocyte (2.0%) developed into a blastocyst with 20 cells. By contrast, the number of vitrified embryos that developed into blastocysts was significantly high when they were delipated prior to vitrification (37.8%, 14/37, 64.0 9.6; P < 0.01). Mitotic spindle stabilization also improved the survival rate of vitrified oocytes (18.6%, 21/113, 56.7 9.6; P < 0.01). The combination of delipation and mitotic spindle stabilization produced the highest number of vitrified oocytes that developed into blastocysts (43.8%, 35/80, 69.4 6.4), although the difference between the combination group and the delipation group was not significant. These results indicate that blastocysts can be produced very efficiently from IVM porcine oocytes that have been vitrified at the M-II stage using both noninvasive delipation and mitotic spindle stabilization procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins in the importin α (IMPA) family play pivotal roles in intracellular nucleocytoplasmic transport. Arabidopsis thaliana possesses nine IMPA members, with diverse tissue-specific expression patterns. Among these nine IMPAs, IMPA1, IMPA2, and IMPA4 cluster together phylogenetically, suggesting potential functional redundancy. To explore this redundancy, we analyzed single and multiple T-DNA mutants for these genes and discovered severe growth defects in the impa1 impa2 impa4 triple knockout mutant but not in the single or double mutants. Complementation with IMPA1, IMPA2, or IMPA4 fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) rescued the growth defects observed in the impa1 impa2 impa4 mutant, indicating the functional redundancy of these three IMPAs. The IMPA-GFP fusion proteins were localized in the nucleus and nuclear envelope, suggesting their involvement in nucleocytoplasmic transport processes. Comparative transcriptomics revealed that salicylic acid (SA)-responsive genes were significantly upregulated in the impa1 impa2 impa4 triple mutant. Consistent with this observation, impa1 impa2 impa4 mutant plants accumulated SA and reactive oxygen species to high levels compared with wild-type plants. We also found enhanced resistance to the anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum in the impa1 impa2 impa4 mutants, suggesting that defense responses were constitutively activated in the impa1 impa2 impa4 mutant. Our findings shed light on the redundant roles of IMPA1, IMPA2, and IMPA4 in suppressing the autoimmune responses and suggest avenues of research to clarify their potentially unique roles., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Hormone perception and signaling pathways have a fundamental regulatory function in the physiological processes of plants. Cytokinins, a class of plant hormones, regulate cell division and meristem maintenance. The cytokinin signaling pathway is well established in the model plant Arabidopsisthaliana. Several negative feedback mechanisms, tightly controlling cytokinin signaling output, have been described previously. In this study, we identified a new feedback mechanism executed through alternative splicing of the cytokinin receptor AHK4/CRE1. A novel splicing variant named CRE1 int7 results from seventh intron retention, introducing a premature termination codon in the transcript. We showed that CRE1 int7 is translated in planta into a truncated receptor lacking the C-terminal receiver domain essential for signal transduction. CRE1 int7 can bind cytokinin but cannot activate the downstream cascade. We present a novel negative feedback mechanism of the cytokinin signaling pathway, facilitated by a decoy receptor that can inactivate canonical cytokinin receptors via dimerization and compete with them for ligand binding. Ensuring proper plant growth and development requires precise control of the cytokinin signaling pathway at several levels. CRE1 int7 represents a so-far unknown mechanism for fine-tuning the cytokinin signaling pathway in Arabidopsis., (Copyright © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pain is perceived not only by personal experience but also vicariously. Pain empathy is the ability to share and understand other's intentions and emotions in their painful conditions, which can be divided into cognitive and emotional empathy. It remains unclear how centrally acting analgesics would modulate brain activity related to pain empathy and which component of pain empathy would be altered by analgesics. In this study, we examined the effects of the analgesic tramadol on the brain activity for pain empathy in healthy adults. We used 2 tasks to assess brain activity for pain empathy. In experiment 1, we used a well-established picture-based pain empathy task involving passive observation of other's pain. In experiment 2, we developed a novel pain empathy task to assess brain activity during cognitive and emotional empathy for pain separately in a single task. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject crossover study with functional magnetic resonance imaging for 33 participants in experiment 1 and 31 participants in experiment 2, respectively. In experiment 1, we found that tramadol decreased activation in the supramarginal gyrus during observation of other's pain compared with placebo. Supramarginal gyrus activation correlated negatively with the thermal pain threshold. In experiment 2, we found that tramadol decreased activation in angular gyrus in cognitive empathy for pain compared with placebo but did not change brain activity in emotional empathy for pain. PERSPECTIVE: Centrally acting analgesics such as tramadol may have not only analgesic effects on self-experienced pain but also on the complex neural processing of pain empathy., (Copyright © 2024 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Details about salivary gland tumor histogenesis remain unknown. Here, we established a newly generated murine salivary gland tumor model that could overexpress pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) and attempted to clarify the events that occur during the early phase of salivary gland tumor histogenesis., Methods: Salivary gland tumors were generated using murine models (Sox9IRES-CreERT2; ROSA26-PLAG1). Lineage tracing of Sox9-expressing cells was performed using Sox9IRES-CreERT2; ROSA26-tdTomato mice, which were generated by crossing Sox9 CreERT2/- and ROSA26-tdTomato mice (expressing the tdTomato fluorescent protein). Organ-cultured embryonic salivary glands from the murine model were morphologically analyzed, and mRNA sequencing was conducted two days after tumor induction for gene enrichment and functional annotation analysis., Results: Salivary gland tumors exhibited epithelial features with acinar-like structures because of gene rearrangements in the luminal cells. Structural disturbances in the duct-acinar unit of the salivary gland were observed and cancer-related pathways were enriched among the differentially upregulated genes in the early phase of tumor induction in an organ-cultured embryonic salivary gland tumor model., Conclusions: The newly generated murine salivary gland tumor model may show that the tumorization of luminal stem/progenitor cells can result in the development of salivary gland tumors comprising only luminal cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors are required to disclose any COI within the period of 12 months prior to the submission of any manuscript in the subject matter of which any company, entity, or organization has an interest., (Copyright © 2024 Japanese Association for Oral Biology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)