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Broadband tunability is a central theme in contemporary nanophotonics and metamaterials research. Combining metamaterials with phase change media offers a promising approach to achieve such tunability, which requires a comprehensive investigation of the electromagnetic responses of novel materials at subwavelength scales. In this work, we demonstrate an innovative way to tailor band-selective electromagnetic responses at the surface of a heavy fermion compound, samarium sulfide (SmS). By utilizing the intrinsic, pressure sensitive, and multi-band electron responses of SmS, we create a proof-of-principle heavy fermion metamaterial, which is fabricated and characterized using scanning near-field microscopes with, Understanding the electromagnetic responses at subwavelength scales is important for achieving tunability. Using a combination of the near-field and far-field spectroscopy, the authors demonstrate a heavy fermion metamaterial with tunable dual-band optical responses by selectively and separately modifying the 4f and 5d band electrons.

We prepared two kinds of ionic liquids (DEME BF4, DEME TFSI), and measured the thermal conductivity of the ionic liquids and the ac loss of the Bi-2223 tape using the ionic liquid impregnation under dc magnetic field in liquid nitrogen. As a result, the thermal conductivity of DEME BF4 is approximately twice that of the epoxy. When the mechanical loss is maximum value, the loss can be reduced about 98.5% by using the ionic liquid compared with no impregnation. We consider that the tape impregnated into the ionic liquid is effective for reducing the ac loss. These results produce fundamental data to reduce the ac loss of conduction-cooled high-temperature superconducting coils.

A self-heating parameter extraction method for a circuit simulation model is discussed based on the transient drain current measurement, by using an 18-V LDMOS as a test device. Important quantities for self-heating models, self-heating-free drain current, thermal resistance Rth, and thermal capacitance Cth are directly and simultaneously extracted from the transient current measurements. The method is efficient in improving the fitting quality in the short-time domain after switching and in guaranteeing the consistency among the extracted quantities. Based on the method, two kinds of thermal network are compared and discussed for the on-wafer measurement. It is demonstrated that the 1R1C model using the method carries fitting errors only in the narrow range of time and that the fitting errors can be removed only by adding one pair of thermal resistance and thermal capacitance which represent the thermal distribution below the device.

Epidemiological and cross-sectional studies indicate a strong association among periodontitis, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with chronic inflammation as a possible common denominator (1–5). However, the precise mechanism responsible for this association has not been established because of the difficulties in investigating a cause-and-effect relationship in human subjects. Temporal, and also cause-and-effect, relationships can be more effectively controlled in animal models to study associations between periodontitis/inflammation and diabetes. To demonstrate a causal effect of periodontitis on the development of insulin resistance (IR) and T2DM, we recently used Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats as a ligature-induced periodontitis model system (6). ZDF rats are prone to obesity as a result of the presence of a mutation in the leptin receptor, and female ZDF rats develop diabetes when provided a high-fat (HF) diet (7). We reported that periodontitis influences the onset of IR and hyperglycemia in female ZDF rats fed a HF diet, but not in rats fed a low-fat (LF) diet (6). These findings indicate that periodontitis, in combination with a HF diet, promotes the development of hyperglycemia and IR in diabetic-prone animals. However, the mechanism accounting for this effect on glucose homeostasis is currently unknown. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern recognition receptor expressed by various cell types, including macrophages, hepatocytes and pancreatic β-cells (8–14). TLR4 recognizes certain bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (15), including certain LPS originating from periodontal pathogens (16–18). The activation of TLR4 by LPS results in increased signal transduction that upregulates the transcription of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β (15,19–23). Interestingly, certain fatty acids (FAs) also activate TLR4 signaling, thereby increasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines (20). There are several mechanisms by which proinflammatory cytokines induce IR. For example, TNF-α can phosphorylate insulin receptor substrate-1 and -2 on a serine residue and impair normal insulin signal transduction (24). Having demonstrated that induced periodontitis in diabetic-prone rats, in combination with a HF diet, affects plasma glucose levels (6), we now test the hypothesis that disruption of TLR4 in animals with periodontitis fed a HF diet will result in improved glucose homeostasis. We therefore induced periodontitis in mice fed a HF diet and which have a TLR4 loss-of-function (LOF) mutation rendering them resistant to stimulation with certain types of LPS and FAs via this receptor. To assess glucose homeostasis, we measured fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels and performed glucose tolerance tests. To evaluate a possible involvement of TLR4 (15) in the development of insulin resistance, and thus glucose homeostasis, we assessed insulin signaling (phosphorylation of Akt) by Western blotting (22), and measured TNF-α mRNA levels using quantitative real-time PCR in the liver, which is a major target of insulin action and plays a central role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis.

金沢大学理工研究域機械工学系, A robot that simulates a number of human leg joint motions during carved turns has been developed. Each leg had six degrees of freedom like those of human athletes. An on-board computer controlled the sequence of joint angles in an open-loop mode during skiing on an artificial grass slope. The relations among joint motions, reacting forces and turn trajectory were investigated by programming various motions of the robot. At first, the effect of basic joint motions, such as abduction-adduction and flexion-extension of the hip, knee and ankle joints were investigated. Then the sequence of a top athlete's joint motions, measured in a separate study, was applied to investigate its effect on the ski turn. The human-inspired programme produced a more even force balance between the skis and also a higher-quality turn. The requirements for a successful physical model of a human skier are discussed. © 2009 International Sports Engineering Association.

Forsythide (F1) isolated from the leaves of Forsythia viridissima (Oleaceae) showed vasorelaxant effects on norepinephrine (NE)-induced contraction of rat aorta with or without endothelium. This compound did not affect contraction induced by high concentration potassium (60 mM K(+)) and phorbol 12,13-diacetate, but inhibited NE-induced contraction in the presence of nicardipine. These results demonstrated the inhibitory effects of F1 on NE-induced vasocontraction presumably due to decrease of calcium influx from extracellular area, which was induced by NE.

Embossing and restoration are utilized to improve the mechanical properties of sheet metal. By subjecting the sheet to these techniques, the section modulus of the sheet metal is increased. Moreover, strain hardening is locally introduced on the sheet. With these strengthening methods, sheet metal of thinner gage can be utilized with remarkable improvement in mechanical properties, such as strength and rigidity. In this paper, embossing and restoration process are conducted to different aluminum alloy sheets. The effects of these techniques to the yield strength, tensile strength, total elongation and bending strength of the sheets are investigated. Also, the effects of bulge height during embossing and of forming condition on these mechanical properties of formed specimens are examined. The effectiveness of these forming techniques on strengthening the sheets is likewise discussed.

A 29-year-old man presented with diplopia, dysarthria, anisocoria, oculomotor nerve paralysis, abducens nerve paralysis, right facial palsy, and spastic hemiparetic gait. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a homogenously enhanced mass in the midbrain. MRI-guided stereotactic biopsy was performed, and the histologic diagnosis was pure germinoma. The tumor disappeared after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Germinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of midbrain lesions in young adults. MRI-guided stereotactic biopsy provided a helpful diagnostic clue in a patient with a midbrain lesion.

Wood-based materials are environment-friendly resources as they eventually decompose into carbon dioxide and water after disposal. However, there are a number of productivity and workability related problems: it takes many years for a tree to grow to a useable size, and wood materials are more difficult to process than metal and plastic materials. To overcome these problems, sequential extrusion of cryptomeria powders mixed with Japanese cypress was performed in an attempt to make long wooden rods. In sequential extrusion, the powder replenishment and short-stroke extrusion steps are alternated until the desired rods are obtained. In this process, a strong extrusion seams were required between the new powder batch and the extruded portion of the rod. A steel container with a device for controlling replenishment temperature was used to increase the bonding strength of extruded rods. The results showed that there exist an optimal replenishment pressure and temperature, and that, under these optimal conditions, long rods with the strength of natural wood can be obtained. Finally, it is found that the presence of back-pressure is key in producing sound, high-strength rods.

Numerical simulation of the blanking process of sheet metals, i.e. the formation of rollover, burnish surface and burr, is done using a rigid–plastic finite element code developed by the authors. The Jeong expression is used as a ductile fracture criterion and is linked with the simulation. The rollover length increases as the clearance between the punch and die increases, and as the n -value of the material increases. On the other hand, the burnish length increases as the clearance decreases and the n -value decreases. The burr height increases linearly with respect to the radius of the tool edge. A conventional simulation method is proposed that predicts the formed burnish length from the clearance and n -value. To confirm the results of the finite element simulation, blanking experiments were also carried out using sheet metal of 3 mm thickness under various clearances and for different materials. The experimental results show good agreement with the finite element simulation results.

The aluminum borate porous ceramic with whisker-framework structure was in situ synthesized and used to manufacture aluminum matrix composites by squeeze casting. The processing technique for the reinforcement was not only non-harmful to the environment and humans, but also relatively cost-effective compared to SiC whiskers. The microstructures were observed and analyzed. The aluminum borate whiskers are uniformly distributed and randomly oriented. Fatigue behavior of the composites was investigated at temperatures from room temperature to 723 K. Fatigue life increased with an increase in volume fraction of aluminum borates. The fatigue life was correlated with stress and temperature. The damage mechanisms of fatigue are cracking of primary Si and the whiskers at room temperature and cavitation in the matrix at high temperatures.

Gutting characteristics of an aluminum sheet (Al 100P–O) on an anvil by the penetration of a wedge shape punch is investigated. Numerical simulations of the cutting process are conducted using a rigid plastic finite element code developed by the authors. Various expressions of fracture initiation are used as fracture criteria and linked with the simulation. The deformation characteristics of the sheet and the cutting force are calculated in terms of nose angle and radius of the wedge shape punch. The applicability of the fracture criteria and the effects of nose angle and radius on the fracture value distribution are discussed on the basis of the calculated results. The simulation results for the various fracture criteria were almost same, except for the Glift fracture criterion. The simulation results show that the fracture value increases with punch penetration depth and the highest value appears at the edge of the punch. It is also predicted that when the punch penetration depth reaches about 80% of the sheet thickness the crack initiates at the edge of the punch. To confirm the results of the simulations, cutting experiments are carried out and the cutting mechanism is observed. The experimental results are qualitatively in good agreement with the simulation results.

Cutting of an aluminum sheet (A1100P–H12) by indentation of wedge shape punches is investigated as a process to achieve burr-free-cutting. Numerical simulations of the cutting process are done using a rigid plastic finite element code developed by the authors. The modified Cockcroft and Latham expression is used as a fracture criterion and is linked with the simulation. Stress and strain distributions at the deformation region of the sheet are calculated and compared with the fracture threshold. The effects of nose angle and radius of the wedge shape punch on the cut edge profile are discussed based on the calculated results. To confirm the results of the finite element simulations, cutting experiments are also carried out and the shape of the cut edge is observed using an optical or a scanning electron microscope. The experimental result shows that the shape of cut edge is divided into four modes depending on the wedge angle α and nose radius r of punch. When the punch of r = 0.1 mm and α = 30 degree is used a sheet is separated by cutting, while when α = 60 and 90 degree ductile fracture occurs due to the secondary tensile force induced by the wedge indentation, and when α = 120 degree brittle fracture occurs due to the excessive work hardening during compression. When the nose radius of punch is increased from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, the deformation of sheet material between upper and lower punches becomes compression rather than cutting. Therefore, when punches of r = 0.5 mm are used, the separated surface has a very thin flash. These experimental results can be explained well by the simulation results.

The number of foreign protein molecules expressed on the cell surface of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by cell surface engineering was quantitatively evaluated using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The emission from EGFP on the cell surface was affected by changes in pH. The amount of EGFP on the cell surface, displayed as alpha-agglutinin-fusion protein under control of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) promoter, was determined at the optimum pH of 7.0. The fluorometric analysis and the image analysis by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed a similar number of molecules displayed on the cell surface, demonstrating that 10(4)-10(5) molecules of alpha-agglutinin-fused molecules per cell were expressed. Furthermore, the amount of fluorescent protein expressed on cells harboring a multicopy plasmid was three to four times higher than that on cells harboring the gene integrated into the genome.

We have studied normal-distribution-shaped Josephson tunnel junctions for STJ (superconducting tunnel junction) photon detector applications. By employing a normal-distribution function to the shape of the superconducting electrodes sidelobes of the Josephson current were entirely suppressed with a small magnetic field. This behavior was confirmed experimentally by using Nb/AlO/sub x//Nb Josephson tunnel junctions. There were no oscillatory sidelobes in the Josephson current dependence on the magnetic field. Experimental results were in good agreement with theoretical ones. The Josephson current was efficiently suppressed by an external magnetic field of about 0.5 mT at 4.2 K, which is less than one tenth that of other shaped junctions. In the experiment at 0.3 K, Fiske steps due to the resonances were not observed by suppression with a magnetic field of about 1 mT.

We have prepared Nb/sub 1-x/Ti/sub x/N (NbTiN) thin films by reactive dc magnetron sputtering without intentional heating. Superconducting properties were strongly related to sputtering conditions. Lattice parameters of NbTiN films approached that of bulk NbTiN on decreasing the N/sub 2/ mole fraction in Ar and N/sub 2/ sputtering gas mixture. The film orientation was also strongly related to the sputtering conditions such as gas pressure. NbN thin films could grow epitaxially on MgO(100) substrates and showed very smooth surfaces. We found that smooth NbTiN films could be obtained on MgO(100) substrates with an epitaxially grown NbN template layer.

直腸カルチノイドは増加傾向にあり,好発部位が下部直腸という特殊性からその治療方針は慎重でなければならない.とくに腫瘍径20mm以下の病変の治療方針は各施設で模索中である.今回自験例49症例を対象に治療方針を検討した.腫瘍径5mm以下は24例,6～10mmは21例,11～20mmは3例,21mm以上が1例であった.内視鏡的切除を31例,うち外科的追加治療は11例,外科的切除は17例に施行した.内視鏡的切除は10mm以下の67%の腫瘍に行い,切除断端陽性でも摘出標本では全例腫瘍の残存を認めなかった.10mmでリンパ節転移例と16mmで肝転移例を1例認めた.治療方針としては腫瘍径10mm以下では基本的に内視鏡的切除をまず第1に考えるが,組織学的検討の結果により追加切除の必要性を考慮する.腫瘍径11mm以上では外科的切除を第1に考える.腫瘍径はひとつの目安であって,症例ごとに治療法の選択をする必要がある.

In ITER, the vacuum vessel (VV) is designed to be a water cooled, double-walled toroidal structure made of 316LN stainless steel with a D-shaped cross section approximately 9 m wide and 15 m high. The design work which began at the beginning of the ITER-EDA is nearing completion by resolving the technical issues. In parallel with the design activities, the R&D program, Full-scale VV Sector Model Project, was initiated in 1995 to resolve the design and fabrication issues. The full-scale sector model corresponds to an 18° sector (9° sub-sector×2) and is being fabricated on schedule. To date, 60% of the fabrication had been completed. The fabrication of full-scale model including sector-to-sector connection will be completed by the end of 1997 and performance tests are scheduled until the end of ITER-EDA. This paper describes the latest status of the ITER VV design and the Full-scale Sector Model Project.

Physics Department, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa(Dated: September 14, 2012)Kondo insulators and in particular their non-cubic representatives have remained poorly under-stood. Here we report on the development of an anisotropic energypseudogap in the tetragonalcompound CeRu

We have investigated the optical conductivity of the prominent valence-fluctuating compounds ${\mathrm{EuIr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{EuNi}}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}$ in the infrared energy range to get new insights into the electronic properties of valence-fluctuating systems. For both compounds, we observe upon cooling the formation of a renormalized Drude response, a partial suppression of the optical conductivity below $100\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$, and the appearance of a midinfrared peak at $0.15\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ for ${\mathrm{EuIr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and 0.13 eV for ${\mathrm{EuNi}}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}$. Most remarkably, our results show a strong similarity with the optical spectra reported for many Ce- or Yb-based heavy-fermion metals and intermediate valence systems, although the phase diagrams and the temperature dependence of the valence differ strongly between Eu systems and Ce- or Yb-based systems. This suggests that the hybridization between $4f$ and conduction electrons, which is responsible for the properties of Ce and Yb systems, plays an important role in valence-fluctuating Eu systems.

Background. To the authors' knowledge, there have been no reports describing a case of malignant paraganglioma that produces both adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Methods. The clinical course and pathophysiology of a patient with Cushing's syndrome induced by ectopic ACTH syndrome caused by a cervical malignant paraganglioma with elevated plasma levels of IL-6 was investigated. Results. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the neck revealed the presence of a tumor around the area from which the blood sample that showed the highest levels of ACTH and IL-6 was obtained by selective catheterization. Immunohistochemical staining of the removed tissue demonstrated the presence of ACTH and IL-6 proteins in the tumor cells. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction also revealed the existence of IL-6 mRNA in those cells. Conclusion. The malignant paraganglioma of ectopic ACTH syndrome may produce IL-6. The present investigation provides new observations concerning ectopic ACTH syndrome.

We investigated whether urinary neopterin concentrations respond to the pathological conditions (especially coronary artery dilatation) of Kawasaki syndrome. All of 29 children with Kawasaki syndrome had very high urinary neopterin concentrations. Increased urinary neopterin concentrations coincided with fever and with monocytosis in peripheral blood. The urinary neopterin excretion peaking within the first 8 days after onset correlated with the development of coronary artery dilatation. Increased urinary neopterin concentrations indicate that cell-mediated immunity is activated in patients with Kawasaki syndrome. Endogenous interferon-gamma and activation of monocytes/macrophages may play a role in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki syndrome. Not only do neopterin concentrations correlate with symptoms in the acute phase of Kawasaki syndrome, they also act as a predictive marker of coronary artery abnormalities in affected patients.

Phenolic-resin fibre was co-graftpolymerized with methyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid. The weight of the fibre increased by 26% after grafting. The grafted fibre was soaked in silvernitrate solution to introduce silver ion on methacrylic acid in the graft by an ion-exchange reaction, followed by carbonization at 900 °C for 30 min under a nitrogen stream and activation at 900 °C under a steam stream. After activation for 40 min, the resulting fibre showed a silver content of 8.3 wt% a specific surface area of 1300 m2g−1 and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The average crystallite size of the silver in this fibre was 30 nm, which suggests co-graftpolymerization is a useful technique to disperse fine silver particles in the activated carbon fibre. After soaking in flowing tap water for 10 and 20 days, this activated carbon fibre lost about 50 wt% of silver but kept its antibacterial activity.

There is general agreement that certain fatty acids and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) promote inflammation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and that inflammation promotes insulin resistance. We therefore hypothesized that mice with periodontitis and a TLR4 loss-of-function (LOF) mutation fed a high-fat (HF) diet would develop improved glucose homeostasis compared with wild-type (WT) animals with periodontitis fed a HF diet.Wild-type and TLR4 mutant mice fed a HF diet were divided into four groups (n = 6/group): WT; WT with periodontitis (WT/P); mutant (Mut); and mutant with periodontitis (Mut/P). Periodontitis was induced by placing LPS soaked ligatures around maxillary second molars. Fasting insulin and glucose levels were measured weekly for 10 wk. Glucose tolerance was evaluated at baseline (week 1) and at 9 wk. Insulin signaling (phosphorylation of Akt) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA levels in liver were determined when the mice were killed at week 10.Mut/P mice developed less alveolar bone loss compared with WT/P mice (p0.05). Fasting glucose levels were improved after 8 wk of feeding a HF diet (weeks 9 and 10) in Mut/P mice compared with Mut, WT and WT/P mice (p0.05). Glucose tolerance was impaired in all groups compared with baseline (p0.05), except for the Mut/P group. Insulin signaling was improved (p0.05), and expression of TNF-α was decreased (p0.05) in the liver of Mut/P mice compared with the liver of WT/P mice.The TLR4 LOF mutation partially protects against alveolar bone loss and improves glucose homeostasis in mice with periodontitis fed a HF diet.

A 1-in optical format frame-interline-transfer charge-coupled-device (FIT-CCD) image sensor with 2 million pixels and an aspect ratio of 16(H):9(V) has been developed for HDTV cameras. The effective number of pixels is 1920(H)*1036(V). In order to decrease the smear level, achieve uniform charge handling capability for the vertical CCD, and eliminate defects that appear as vertical stripes in the image of the device, aluminum wire was put onto the vertical transfer gate to decrease the resistance in the transfer gate and a dual-channel two-phase CCD was utilized for the horizontal shift register operated by a 37.125-MHz clock. As a result, this image sensor has a dynamic range of 72 dB and a sensitivity of 75 nA/lx for light with a color temperature of 2856 K. Smear is reduced to -100 dB by using the FIT-CCD image sensor structure. The horizontal limit is 1000 TV lines. In addition, image lag is negligibly small and below the sensitivity of the measurement instrument. >

X-ray dynamical diffraction phenomena at a Bragg angle near π/2 are studied. The X-ray transmissivity as well as the reflectivity from the (991) lattice plane of a silicon thin plate is observed. It agrees fairly well with the diffraction pattern calculated on the basis of the Darwin approach. The possibility is discussed whether a set of two crystal plates arranged face to face, in which the diffraction condition with a Bragg angle near π/2 is satisfied, may be used as a very high resolution monochromator.

SummaryAlthough increased expression of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) has been demonstrated in inflammatory sites of various diseases, its role in colitis remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether MAdCAM-1 is involved in the pathogenesis of granulomatous colitis induced by peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS). Experimental colitis was induced by intramural injection of PG-PS to rat colon. After 3 weeks the colon was removed and the mucosal inflammation was assessed. The area of MAdCAM-1-positive venules and the subsets of infiltrating cells were determined in colonic mucosa by immunohistochemistry. In another experiment, monoclonal antibody against MAdCAM-1 was administered intraperitoneally to examine its attenuating effect on colitis. The intramural injection of PG-PS induced significant colonic inflammation with granuloma formation. The submucosa was drastically thickened with the infiltration of CD4 positive lymphocytes and ED-1 positive macrophages. Intense MAdCAM-1 expression was observed on endothelium of the submucosal venules in inflamed mucosa. Administration of anti-MAdCAM-1 antibody significantly attenuated the PG-PS-induced colonic damage and cell infiltration. Enhanced expression of MAdCAM-1 was demonstrated in venular endothelium of the inflamed colon in PG-PS-induced colitis. The attenuating effect of anti-MAdCAM-1 suggests the importance of the MAdCAM-1-dependent process in the formation of chronic granulomatous colitis.

SUMMARY GOR (GOR47–1) is an epitope thought to be a host-derived antigen cross-reactive with hepatitis C virus (HCV) since it was isolated from a cDNA library of host animals reactive with sera of HCV-positive patients. An enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using this epitope as antigen is of sufficient sensitivity and specificity for screening patients with HCV. However, the relationship between GOR47–1 epitope and autoimmune phenomena associated with HCV infection or autoimmune hepatitis is controversial. Here we isolated the human GOR gene and found that the GOR47–1 epitope was not translated in humans due to a single base replacement from chimpanzee. Furthermore, we found some patients who had antibodies against another epitope, which is translated (GOR1–125) in humans, although there was no correlation between the existence of anti-GOR47–1 or anti-GOR1–125 Ab and autoimmune phenomena. Serum IgG levels did not influence the titres of these antibodies. Taken together with the results of several other studies, our finding that the GOR47–1 epitope cannot be translated into a protein suggests that there is little relationship between autoimmunity and the GOR gene product in human beings. We also discuss here the possible mechanism of cross-reactivity between HCV and the GOR gene product.

A neural plakophilin-related armadillo repeat protein (NPRAP)/delta-catenin interacts with one of Alzheimer disease-related gene products, presenilin 1. We have previously reported the interaction of NPRAP/delta-catenin with synaptic scaffolding molecule, which is involved in the assembly of synaptic components. NPRAP/delta-catenin also interacts with E-cadherin and beta-catenin and is implicated in the organization of cell-cell junctions. p0071, a ubiquitous isoform of NPRAP/delta-catenin, is localized at desmosomes in HeLa and A431 cells and at adherens junctions in Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells. We have identified here a novel protein interacting with NPRAP/delta-catenin and p0071 and named this protein plakophilin-related armadillo repeat protein-interacting PSD-95/Dlg-A/ZO-1 (PDZ) protein (PAPIN). PAPIN has six PDZ domains and binds to NPRAP/delta-catenin and p0071 via the second PDZ domain. PAPIN and p0071 are ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and are localized at cell-cell junctions in normal rat kidney cells and bronchial epithelial cells. PAPIN may be a scaffolding protein connecting components of epithelial junctions with p0071.

Researchers have observed that when head-shaking nystagmus (HSN) is provoked in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders, usually (in more than 75% of cases) it beats toward the normal or unaffected ear. The reverse of this pattern occurs commonly in patients with Meniere's disease. This finding presumably reflects the changeable pathophysiological state of the labyrinth of Meniere's disease. We retrospectively analyzed clinical records of eight patients who had unilateral Meniere's disease and came to Gunma University Hospital for consultation in the period from 1984 through 1989. All patients satisfied the following condition: In the period prior to the attacks of vertigo, for which a 10-day period preceding the attack was arbitrarily considered (the forerunning period), HSN reversed its direction, appeared, or disappeared. When HSN showed a biphasic pattern, only the first phase was considered in this present analysis. In the period before the attack, HSN reversed its direction from the normal to the morbid ear five times in four patients, appeared toward the morbid ear in three patients, and disappeared from one beating toward the normal ear before the forerunning period of vertigo attacks in one patient. These findings suggest that the occurrence of HSN directed to the morbid ear in the recuperation period in Meniere's disease might indicate the impending recurrence of a vertigo attack in a few days. In the present group of patients, vertigo attacks occurred from 6 hours to 8 days (average, 3.2 days) after the observation of HSN beating toward the morbid ear. In three of these patients, the immediate administration of isosorbide (a hyperosmotic diuretic) in this stage successfully suppressed the recurrence of vertigo attacks.

Mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) is essential for lymphocyte trafficking to gut-associated lymphoid tissues and is implicated in inflammatory disorders in the gut and pancreatic islets. In this study, we examined the functional role of MAdCAM-1 during rat ontogeny using newly generated specific mAb. As previously observed in mice and humans, MAdCAM-1 was preferentially expressed in high endothelial venules (HEV) in gut-associated lymphoid tissues and venules of lamina propria in adult rats. Lymphocyte rolling and adhesion on HEV in Peyer’s patches (PP) were completely abrogated with neutralizing anti-MAdCAM-1 mAb, in agreement with the notion that MAdCAM-1 is the principal HEV ligand for lymphocyte rolling and adhesion in adult PP. In the developing gastrointestinal tract, MAdCAM-1 was widely expressed in the venules of the lamina propria of fetal rats. In addition, MAdCAM-1 was also expressed in follicular dendritic cells in the neonatal PP. Interestingly, MAdCAM-1 expression was found also in nonmucosal tissues during ontogeny. MAdCAM-1 was transiently expressed in blood vascular endothelial cells in the fetal skin and neonatal thymus. Notably, MAdCAM-1-positive blood vessels were localized mainly in the cortico-medullary junction in the neonatal thymus and about 10–20% of thymocytes, most of which were either CD4, CD8 double positive or single positive specifically reacted with soluble MAdCAM-1 via integrin α4β7. After birth, MAdCAM-1 expression in thymus blood vessels disappeared and concomitantly, the soluble MAdCAM-1-reactive thymocytes were rapidly down-regulated. Our results suggest that MAdCAM-1 functions as a vascular addressin in not only mucosal, but also nonmucosal lymphoid tissues during ontogeny.

The terminal segment of the aerobic respiratory chain of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus sp. strain 7 is an unusual caldariellaquinol oxidase supercomplex, which contains at least one b-type and three spectroscopically distinguishable a-type cytochromes, one copper, and a Rieske-type FeS center. In this paper, we report the purification and characterization of two different forms of the archaeal a-type cytochromes, namely, a three-subunit cytochrome a583-aa3 subcomplex and a single-subunit cytochrome aa3 derived from the cytochrome subcomplex, in order to facilitate further studies on the terminal oxidase segment of Sulfolobus. The optical and EPR spectroscopic analyses suggest the presence of two different low-spin heme centers and one high-spin heme center in the purified cytochrome a583-aa3 subcomplex, and one low-spin and one high-spin hemes in cytochrome aa3, respectively. The Rieske-type FeS center detected in the purified cytochrome supercomplex was absent in two forms of the a-type cytochrome oxidase, indicating its association with cytochrome b562. The crystal field parameters of the lowspin heme a583 center indicate that its axial ligands may be similar to those of cytochromes c, rather than conventional bis-histidine ligation. In spite of the absence of any c-type cytochrome, a ferrocytochrome c oxidase activity was detected in the archaeal purified cytochrome a583-aa3 subcomplex with no quinol oxidase activity, but not in the purified cytochrome oxidase supercomplex, which has been tentatively interpreted as a representative of electron transfer from the Rieske FeS center to cytochrome a583 in vivo. Thus, our results indicate the following scheme for the intramolecular electron transfer of the terminal oxidase supercomplex from Sulfolobus sp. strain 7: [caldariellaquinol--] b562--Rieske FeS center--a583 aa3--molecular oxygen.

A novel pink [2Fe-2S] protein has been purified from the cytosol fraction of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus sp. strain 7 (originally named Sulfolobus acidocaldarius 7) and called "sulredoxin." Its absorption, circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra suggest the presence of a Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] cluster (g-factors of 2.01, 1.91, and 1.79; average g-factor [gav] = 1.90) which is remarkably similar to that of Thermus thermophilus respiratory Rieske FeS protein (J. A. Fee, K. L. Findling, T. Yoshida, R. Hille, G. E. Tarr, D. O. Hearshen, W. R. Dunham, E. P. Day, T. A. Kent, and E. Münck, J. Biol. Chem. 259:124-133, 1984) and distinctively different from those of the plant-type ferredoxins (gav = 1.96). Sulredoxin, which is the first Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] protein isolated from an archaeal species, does not function as an electron acceptor of the cognate 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductase. Whether sulredoxin is derived from the archaeal membrane-bound respiratory Rieske-type FeS center (gy = 1.91) is the subject of further investigation.

Cytochrome P450 purified from Fusarium oxysporum (P450nor) is a unique heme enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide with electrons directly transferred from NADH (2NO + NADH + H+--N2O + H2O + NAD+). We studied the reaction of P450nor with NO and NADH using stopped-flow rapid scan and low temperature spectroscopic methods. The NO ligand can bind to the ferric enzyme to form the stable NO bound complex, P450nor(Fe3+NO). Reduction of P450nor(Fe3+NO) with NADH yielded an intermediate, which transiently formed (tau = approximately 100 ms) and spontaneously decomposed to the Fe3+ state. The optical absorption spectrum of the intermediate was different from that of P450nor(Fe2+NO), which was formed by either a one-electron reduction of P450nor(Fe3+NO) with Na2S2O4 or NO binding to P450nor(Fe2+). On the basis of these observations, we suggested that the intermediate is presumably a two-electron reduced product of P450nor(Fe3+NO) by NADH, formally the (Fe3+NO)2-complex. We determined the rate constants of these reactions at 10 degrees C for the NO binding to P450nor(Fe3+) (2.6 x 10(7) M-1 s-1), the NADH reduction of P450nor(Fe3+NO) (0.9 x 10(6) M-1 s-1), and the spontaneous decomposition of the intermediate (0.027 s-1). In these kinetic measurements, it was found that the former two processes are fast enough, while the latter is extremely slow, compared with the fast turnover of the catalytic reaction (1200 s-1 at 10 degrees C), which we measured by monitoring the NADH consumption. Therefore, we suggested that in the catalytic cycle, decomposition of the intermediate is fairly accelerated by free NO, resulting in such a fast turnover. On the basis of several lines of the spectroscopic and the kinetic evidence, we proposed a possible mechanism of the NO reduction by P450nor.

The dicluster-type ferredoxin is a key electron carrier in the cytoplasm of the aerobic and thermoacidophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus sp. strain 7, and contains 1 aspartate and 7 cysteine residues as possible ligands to two FeS clusters. The optical, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and cyclic voltammetric studies suggest the presence of one each of [3Fe-4S]1+,0 (-280 mV) and [4Fe-4S]2+,1+ (-530 mV) clusters in the purified Sulfolobus ferredoxin, and the lower potential [4Fe-4S] center was scarcely reducible by excess dithionite even at pH 9. While the Sulfolobus ferredoxin has been known to function as an electron acceptor of 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (Kerscher, L., Nowitzki, S., and Oesterhelt, D. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 128, 223-230), it is not known whether one or both of two clusters is reduced during the steady-state turnover of the enzyme. Here we show by combinations of the optical and EPR spectroscopies that only the higher potential [3Fe-4S] cluster is reduced at the physiological pH during the steady-state turnover of the purified 2-oxoacid:ferredoxin oxidoreductase at 50 degrees C. The functional significance and evolutionary implications of the [3Fe-4S] center in dicluster-type ferredoxins are discussed.

A malocclusion characterized by open bite and vertical maxillary excess can be one of the most difficult problems to correct through orthodontic treatment because of the difficulty in permanently changing the morphological disharmony and/or functional disorder associated with open bite. However, in some patients with less severe skeletal impairment it may be possible to orthodontically correct the occlusal disharmony so that the new relationship of the dental arches becomes compatible with normal function of the oral environment. Stability may be enhanced if mechanics are used which do not extrude posterior teeth.

Oral habits should be of primary clinical concern to orthodontists because they may cause malocclusion, and/or interfere with treatment progress. Generally habit control should be achieved prior to correction of the malocclusion in an effort to remove any etiological factors in development and maintenance of the malocclusion. It is also important for the clinician to understand that habit-breaking treatment may require an extended treatment time because habits may have been present for long periods of time and may be related to underlying psychological problems. The present report documents the treatment of maxillary protrusion in a patient in which a thumb-sucking habit had persisted from infancy until almost age 12. Elimination of the habit was accomplished prior to correcting the malocclusion and for stability of the result. Orthodontic treatment consisted of extracting two maxillary premolars followed by full treatment with fixed appliances. Long-term postretention records show good stability of the corrected malocclusion.