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A polarization modulator unit for a low-frequency telescope in LiteBIRD employs an achromatic half-wave plate (AHWP). It consists of five-layer a-cut sapphire plates, which are stacked based on a Pancharatnam recipe. In this way, the retardance of the AHWP is a half-wave over the bandwidth of 34 - 161 GHz. The diameter of a single sapphire plate is about 500mm and the thickness is about 5 mm. When a large diameter AHWP is used for a space mission, it is important for the AHWP to survive launch vibration. A preliminary study indicates that the five-layer-stacked HWP has a risk of breakage at the launch unless the 5 layers are glued together and mechanically treated as one disk. In this paper, we report our investigation using a sodium silicate solution which can bond between sapphire plates. This technique has been previously investigated as a candidate cryogenic glue for a mirror material, including sapphire, of the gravitational wave detector, LIGO and KAGRA. We experimentally studied the mechanical strength of the bonded interface for two different surface conditions, polished and unpolished. We demonstrated the tensile and shear strength of above 20MPa for samples with a polished surface, respectively. We also identified that samples glued on a polished surface show higher strength than unpolished ones by a factor of 2 for tensile and 18 for shear strength. We searched for any optical effects, e.g. extra gap or absorption by the bonding interface, by measuring the millimeter-wave transmission spectra in 90-140 GHz. We did not find any optical effect caused by the bonded interface within 2% error in transmittance that is originated from the measurement system.

We here described the antioxidant effects of carnitine supplementation on 14-3-3 protein isoforms in the aged rat hippocampus detected using the fully automated two-dimensional chip gel electrophoresis system (Auto2D). This system was easy and convenient to use, and the resolution obtained was more sensitive and higher than that of conventional two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). We separated and identified five isoforms of the 14-3-3 protein (beta/alpha, gamma, epsilon, zeta/delta, and eta) using the Auto2D system. We then examined the antioxidant effects of carnitine supplementation on the protein profiles of the cytosolic fraction in the aged rat hippocampus, demonstrating that carnitine supplementation suppressed the oxidation of methionine residues in these isoforms. Since methionine residues are easily oxidized to methionine sulfoxide, the convenient and high-resolution 2-D PAGE system can be available to analyze methionine oxidation avoiding artifactual oxidation. We showed here that the Auto2D system was a very useful tool for studying antioxidant effects through proteomic analysis of protein oxidation.

application/pdf, Article, Journal of Applied Physics . 2014, 116 (3)

The accumulation of non-enzymatic modifications on both DNA and protein molecules under the attack of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is one of the most possible factors responsible for the functional deterioration in aged cells. Direct protein modifications as well as DNA damages may be detectable, in part, by proteome analysis if the gene expression is affected by the damages on DNA. The novel term “proteome”, which is a compound of “protein” and “genome”, means a whole set of proteins expressed in a tissue or a cell strain to be investigated. Proteomics is a methodology for analyzing proteomes. In proteomics, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is performed primarily to separate constitutive proteins, followed by mass spectrometry to identify each protein of interest and to determine a possible post-translational modification. Proteomics has offered us an innovative tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms of cellular aging.

The phenomenon of diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS) has been examined in relation to structural symmetry and is discussed for PbZrO 3 in the space group Pbam. It is found that DAFS appears on the superlattice reflection, even if the intensity of the reflection is free from the anomalous dispersion of heavy atoms at the relevant absorption edges. For reflections that are forbidden by the glide symmetry, DAFS oscillation can be observed, unaffected by the influence of absorption and of X-ray absorption fine structure oscillation; the amplitude of DAFS oscillation depends on the polarization of incident X-rays. The role of DAFS signals in superstructure investigation is discussed with respect to highly absorbing crystals of finite size.

A novel stereoselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyazetidines starting from 2,3-epoxyamines is described. Regioselectivity of the intramolecular cyclization of 2,3-epoxyamines is controlled by the use of magnesium bromide. The cyclization proceeds with retention of the stereochemistry, caused by double inversion of two sequential S N 2 reactions of the epoxyamines.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis is a powerful technique for demonstrating cellular changes in protein synthesis and post-translational modification. The method of computer-aided two-dimensional densitometry was developed to facilitate the comparison of gels. However, powerful minicomputers were required to execute the sophisticated programs in the early stages of development. Recent advances in workstations have given rise to commercially available desktop systems on which the full functions of two-dimensional densitometry including spot matching and database construction are available. Thus two-dimensional gel protein databases of various cell types have been accumulating, and some of them are accessible through ExPASy server on the Internet computer network.

Various five-membered heterocyclic compounds were synthesized by the reactions of N-substituted-2-aminomethyloxiranes with several different heterocumulenes in good yields.

Diabetic metabolic change and response to aldose reductase inhibition in the Wistar rat lens were examined with phosphorus-31 (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. To avoid artifacts in sample preparation, we used freshly excised lenses and acquired NMR data for 20 min immediately after lens extraction. The results showed a diabetes-induced time-dependent loss of ATP and phosphorylcholine (PC), an increase in alpha-glycerophosphate (alpha-GP) and inorganic phosphate and the appearance of sorbitol-3-phosphate (S-3-P) and fructose-3-phosphate (F-3-P). Oral but not topical dosing of an aldose reductase inhibitor, 5-(3-ethoxy-4-pentyloxyphenyl)-2,4- thiazolidinedione, resulted in a positive dose-response correlation characterized by a restoration of PC, S-3-P and F-3-P to the prediabetic level; however, alpha-GP and ATP were only partially normalized. The significance of the 31P change was further discussed.

Aryl substituted epihalohydrin derivatives were synthesized by the dehydrohalogenation of 2,3-dihalo-3-arylpropanol derivatives in the two phase solvent system of aqueous alkali solution and benzene with a phase transfer reagent such as benzyltrimethylammonium chloride

New general synthetic methods of benzothiazepine derivatives were studied. Treatment of 2-(1-haloalkyl)oxiranes (1) with 2- aminothiophenol in the presence of a base provides a variety of benzothiazepine derivatives (4) in excellent yields. The reaction is assumed to proceed through cyclization of an oxirane intermediate (3)

Various five-membered heterocyclic compounds were synthesized by the reactions of N-substituted-2-aminomethyloxiranes with several different heterocumulenes in good yields.

A novel stereoselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyazetidines starting from 2,3-epoxyamines is described. Regioselectivity of the intramolecular cyclization of 2,3-epoxyamines is controlled by the use of magnesium bromide. The cyclization proceeds with retention of the stereochemistry, caused by double inversion of two sequential S N 2 reactions of the epoxyamines.

The dipole moments of 1-cyclopentadienylidene-2-cycloheptatrienylidene-ethylene 1a and its related compounds we calculated by MNDO and ab initio methods. The calculated dipole moment of 1a (μ( 1a )=3.39D) is compared with the value 3.71D which is estimated from our experimental dipole moment of 1-tetraphenyl-cyclopentadienylidene-2-cycloheptatrienylidene-ethylene.

Outer membrane proteins (OMP) of Porphyromonas endodontalis HG 370 (ATCC 35406) were prepared from the cell envelope fraction of the organisms. The cell envelope that had been obtained by sonication of the whole cells was extracted in 2% lithium dodecyl sulfate and then successively chromatographed with Sephacryl S-200 HR and DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow. Two OMP fractions, OMP-I and OMP-II, were obtained, and their immunochemical properties and induction of specific antibodies were examined. The OMP-I preparation consisted of a major protein with an apparent molecular mass of 31 kDa and other moderate to minor proteins of 40.3, 51.4, 67, and 71.6 kDa, while the OMP-II preparation contained 14-, 15.5-, 27-, and 44-kDa proteins as revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis. OMP-I was found to form hydrophilic diffusion pores by incorporation into artificial liposomes composed of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and dicetylphosphate, indicating that OMP-I exhibited significant porin activity. However, the liposomes containing heat-denatured OMP-I were scarcely active. Spontaneous and antigen-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM)-, IgG-, and IgA-secreting spot-forming cells (SFC) enzymatically dissociated into single-cell suspensions from chronically inflamed periapical tissues and were enumerated by enzyme-linked immunospot assay. In patients with radicular cysts or dental granulomas, the major isotype of spontaneous SFC was IgG. In radicular cysts, the OMP-II-specific IgG SFC represented 0.13% of the total IgG SFC, while the antigen-specific IgA or IgM SFC was not observed. It was also found that none of these mononuclear cells produced antibodies specific for OMP-I or lipopolysaccharide of P. endodontalis.

Bacillus subtilis is an effective probiotic product for prevention of enteric infections both in humans and animals. We hypothesized that a mouth rinse containing Bacillus subtilis should adhere to and colonize part of the oral bacteria on periodontal tissue. The rinsing ability of Extraction 300E (containing Bacillus subtilis: E-300) was compared with that of a mouth wash liquid , Neosteline Green (benzethonium chloride; NG) that is commonly used in Japan. Compared with NG rinsing, E-300 rinsing resulted in a marked change in the BANA-score. The mean BANA values (score +/- SD) over the course of the study from 0 to 30 days were 1.52 +/- 0.51 (p < or = 0.1) and 0.30 +/- 0.47 (p < or = 0.01) for E-300, and 1.56 +/- 0.51 and 0.93 +/- 0.68 for NG, respectively. Gingival Index also had improvement, while probing pocket depth and bleeding on probing showed small improvements. Mouth rinsing with E-300 significantly reduced periodontal pathogens compared with NG. These results suggest that Bacillus subtilis is an appropriate mouth rinse for patients with periodontitis.

We developed a novel biphasic calcium phosphate cement of dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate and tetracalcium phosphate as a root canal filling material. For endodontic clinical use, the physical properties and tissue responses were estimated. The pH level ranged from 8.2 to 8.6. Low crystalline hydroxyapatite was recognized by XRD analysis. Mutually connected platy particles and spherical particles were observed by SEM examination. The particles were separated from each other by about 10 μm. Dental pulp responses to the cement was estimated in mandibular first molar in vivo. Hard tissue was formed in the middle of root canal by placement of the cement on the amputated pulp at the orifice. When the cement was placed on the pulp amputated at the middle in the root canal, cementum-like hard tissue was formed at the apex. Pulp amputation and placement of the cement at the apical portion, mild inflammatory responses to the cement were found in the periapical area. The cement in the alveolar bone defect via the root canal promoted the reconstruction of periapical alveolar bone defect. It is concluded that the cement is suitable for endodontic bioactive material because of hard tissue inductiveness.

We have carried out a basic study for the development of polymer-insulated DC cable focusing on the relation between the morphology and the space charge accumulation in the insulation. This paper describes the results of investigating the effect of the morphology on electric characteristics of polymer-insulated DC cable using the cable samples with different spherulite size. In the experiments, the hetero charge accumulated only in the insulation near the outer semiconductive layer when the DC voltage was applied on the sample. The amount of the accumulated charge increases with the rise of an applied voltage and the temperature, and it's amount in the sample with large spherulites is larger because the thickness of the amorphous region, in which a charge can move easily, increases with spherulite size. The sample with large spherulites indicates a low breakdown voltage to the application of the DC, the impulse and the impulse superimposed DC. It is considered that the electric stress is strongly emphasized by the space charge accumulation and the thickness of the amorphous region is larger.

We have developed a triple gate oxide CMOS technology that integrates 0.10-/spl mu/m gate length 1.2-V high-speed CMOS (tox of 1.9 nm), low-power CMOS (tox of 2.5 nm) and 2.5-V I/O transistors (tox of 5.0 nm). The key technology is fluorine implantation in order to fabricate 1.9-nm and 2.5-nm gate oxide simultaneously. We selectively implanted fluorine into low-power CMOS area and successfully reduced the gate leakage current by 1.5 orders of magnitude.

Abnormal reflexes associated with spasticity are considered a major determinant of motor impairments occurring after stroke; however, the mechanisms underlying post-stroke spasticity remain unclear. This may be because of the lack of suitable rodent models for studying spasticity after cortical injuries. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to establish an appropriate post-stroke spasticity mouse model. We induced photothrombotic injury in the rostral and caudal forelimb motor areas of mice and used the rate-dependent depression (RDD) of Hoffmann's reflex (H-reflex) as an indicator of spastic symptoms. To detect motoneuron excitability, we examined c-fos mRNA levels and c-Fos immunoreactivity in affected motoneurons using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR and immunohistochemical analysis, respectively. To confirm the validity of our model, we confirmed the effect of the anti-spasticity drug baclofen on H-reflex RDDs 1 week post stroke. We found that 3 days after stroke, the RDD was significantly weakened in the affected muscles of stroke mice compared with sham-operated mice, and this was observed for 8 weeks. The c-fos mRNA levels in affected motoneurons were significantly increased in stroke mice compared with sham-operated mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of c-Fos-positive motoneurons in stroke mice compared with sham-operated mice at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after stroke; however, the number of c-Fos-positive motoneurons on both sides of the brain gradually decreased over time. Baclofen treatment resulted in recovery of the weakened RDD at 1 week post stroke. Our findings suggest that this is a viable animal model of post-stroke spasticity.

Background: No published studies have directly examined the effect of soy protein with isoflavones on bone or bone turnover in perimenopausal women. Objective: Our objective was to determine the effects of 24 wk of consumption of soy protein isolate with isoflavones (80.4 mg/d) in attenuating bone loss during the menopausal transition. Design: Perimenopausal subjects were randomly assigned, double blind, to treatment: isoflavone-rich soy (SPI+; n = 24), isoflavone-poor soy (SPI-; n = 24), or whey (control; n = 21) protein. At baseline and posttreatment, lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. At baseline, midtreatment, and posttreatment, urinary N-telopeptides and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were measured. Results: The percentage change in lumbar spine BMD and BMC, respectively, did not differ from zero in the SPI+ or SPI-groups, but loss occurred in the control group (-1.28%, P = 0.0041; -1.73%, P = 0.0037). By regression analysis, SPI+ treatment had a positive effect on change in BMD (5.6%; P = 0.023) and BMC (10.1%; P = 0.0032). Baseline BMD and BMC (P ≤ 0.0001) negatively affected the percentage change in their respective models; baseline body weight (P = 0.0036) and bone-free lean weight (P = 0.016) contributed positively to percentage change in BMD and BMC, respectively. Serum BAP posttreatment was negatively related to percentage change in BMD (P = 0.0016) and BMC (P = 0.019). Contrast coding using analyses of covariance with BMD or BMC as the outcome showed that isoflavones, not soy protein, exerted the effect. Conclusion: Soy isoflavones attenuated bone loss from the lumbar spine in perimenopausal women.

SF6 is widely used in electric power apparatus such as gas insulated switchgears (GIS), not only because of its superior dielectric properties, but also its chemically inert and nontoxic characteristics.1,2 However, it has several weak points; firstly, it has high liquified temperature. Secondly, its dielectric strength is drastically reduced by concentration of the electric field on insulation defects like metallic particles. Moreover, SF6 is the gas with high greenhouse effect. From these reasons, the development of new gas or gas mixture for the electrical insulation alternative to SF6 are strongly required and recently studied.2-4 Much studies on gas mixtures are done for breakdown characteristics under lightning impulse voltage application,5,6 while few study on partial discharge (PD) characteristics in gas mixtures are reported.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and its direct activator, MAPK kinase (MAPKK), have been suggested to play a pivotal role in a variety of signal transduction pathways in higher eukaryotes. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe carries a gene, named spk1, whose product is structurally related to vertebrate MAPK. Here we show that Spk1 is functionally related to Xenopus MAPK. (i) Xenopus MAPK partially complemented a defect in the spk1- mutant. An spk1- diploid strain could not sporulate, but one carrying Xenopus MAPK could. (ii) Both Spk1 and Xenopus MAPK interfered with sporulation if overexpressed in S. pombe cells. (iii) Spk1 underwent tyrosine phosphorylation as does Xenopus MAPK. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Spk1 appeared to be dependent upon mating signals because it occurred in homothallic cells but not in heterothallic cells. Furthermore, this phosphorylation was diminished in a byr1 disruptant strain, suggesting that spk1 lies downstream of byr1, which encodes a MAPKK homolog in S. pombe. Taken together, the MAPKK-MAPK cascade may be evolutionarily conserved in signaling pathways in yeasts and vertebrates.

Ni/SiC interface reaction was investigated by Raman scattering. The specimen consisted of a 200 nm Ni layer deposited on a both-side polished 6H–SiC wafer with postannealing at 500–1100 °C. Raman spectra were observed from both faces of the specimen, i.e., from the Ni layer side and from the opposite (SiC wafer) side. The spectra showed that nickel silicides were formed by annealing at above 500 °C, and diffusion of Si atoms into the Ni layer played a key role in forming an ohmic contact at above ∼900 °C. It was also found that carbon atoms that did not react with Ni formed nanometer-size clusters. This work clearly demonstrates that Raman scattering is useful for studying interface reactions between metallic electrodes and SiC.

New general synthetic methods of benzothiazepine derivatives were studied. Treatment of 2-(1-haloalkyl)oxiranes (1) with 2- aminothiophenol in the presence of a base provides a variety of benzothiazepine derivatives (4) in excellent yields. The reaction is assumed to proceed through cyclization of an oxirane intermediate (3)

The reaction of 2-(1 -haloalkyl)oxiranes with carbamate salts selectively gave perhydrooxazin-2-ones at neutral conditions and oxazolidin-2-ones at basic. Those reactions proceeded stereospecifically and the mechanisms were discussed

Aryl substituted epihalohydrin derivatives were synthesized by the dehydrohalogenation of 2,3-dihalo-3-arylpropanol derivatives in the two phase solvent system of aqueous alkali solution and benzene with a phase transfer reagent such as benzyltrimethylammonium chloride

The visible absorption spectra, the electron microphotographs and the optical microphotograph of the cellulosic fibres dyed with direct dyes were observed in comparison with Acridine Orange free base (AO). Furthermore, dyeing was carried out in a thermostat bath at 90 ± 1, 80 ± 1, and 70 ± 1 °C. From the results, the change of enthalpy,ΔH° for the dyeing was calculated.Δh° of AO was very small in comparison with other direct dyes, and AO in the cellulosic fibres has predominantly crystallized property. The result was expressed as follows: Crystallized tendency =(dye-dye interaction) -(dye-fibre interaction).

The regulatory (R) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was expressed in Escherichia coli by engineering the gene for yeast R, BCY1, into an E. coli expression vector that contained a promoter from phage T7. Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis was used to create an NdeI restriction site at the natural ATG of the yeast R. This facilitated construction of the T7 expression vector so that the sequence of the protein produced was identical to the natural R subunit. Yeast R was highly expressed in a soluble form. 20 mg of purified yeast R was obtained from 4 liters of E. coli. N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed that the expressed protein began with the natural sequence. 60% of the molecules contained an N-terminal methionine, and 40% initiated with valine, the second amino acid of yeast R. The protein produced in E. coli migrated on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel with an Mr of 52,000. The yeast R bound 2 mol of cAMP/mol of R monomer with a Kd of 76 nM. The protein was treated with urea to remove bound cAMP. Sedimentation values before and after the urea treatment were identical (s20,w = 5.1). Addition of purified R subunit to a preparation of yeast C subunit (TPK1) rendered catalytic activity cAMP-dependent with an activity ratio of 4.6. The yeast R was autophosphorylated by yeast C to a level of 0.8 mol of phosphate/mol of R monomer. By these criteria, the R subunit produced in E. coli was structurally and functionally identical to the natural yeast R subunit and similar to mammalian type II R subunits.

Les hydrogenations des hydroxy-4-, methoxy-4- et methyl-4 biphenyles sont effectuees en presence de nickel Raney, de palladium sur carbone ou de platine dans des conditions douces. L'hydrogenation avec Pd/c ou Pt s'effectue essentiellement dans les cycles benzeniques, independamment du substituant. L'hydrogenation avec le nickel Raney provoque la reduction principalement du cycle aromatique substitue

Using cigarettes of different circumference but a constant packing density, the effect of circumference on the rate of formation (ratio of total delivery to the weight loss of tobacco during puffs) of various components was investigated. The rates of formation of CO and HCN increased and that of B[a]P decreased with decreasing circumference, while those of CO2, NO and vapour phase CH3CHO were independent of circumference. The differences in the effect of circumference on the rate of formation of CO, B[a]P and HCN can be explained by differences in their thermal formation during puffs.

The dependence of the surface morphologies, electrical and optical properties of MBE grown layers on the surface cleanliness of both and substrates after being treated by a thermal treatment procedure in a vacuum prior to growth was studied by using RHEED and AES and by measuring the Hall effect and photoluminescence. The major contaminants on the surface of both and after chemical treatment are carbon and oxygen. Carbon absorbed on the surface of both and can be easily decomposed by thermal treatment above 420°C. On the other hand, there is quite a difference between and concerning the removal behavior of the residual oxide layers. The thermal treatment temperatures required to completely remove these oxide layers are 560°C for and 620°C for . The characteristics of the MBE grown layers depend mainly on the surface cleanliness of the substrate after the thermal removal of the residual oxide layers. In order to achieve a high quality grown layer, it is recommended that the thermal treatment be in the comparatively wide region between 560° and 630°C for the growth of on and in the extremely narrow region between 620° and 630°C for the growth of on .

Phosphofructokinase (ATP:D-fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.11) was purified to homogeneity from pig livers. Polyclonal antibody against the enzyme was induced in a rabbit, and the IgG fraction was obtained by chromatography on a Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B column. The specific antibody was purified further by immunoaffinity chromatography on a phosphofructokinase-conjugated affinity column. Intermediate catabolic products of phosphofructokinase were extracted from fresh pig livers under conditions of inhibition of proteinases, concentrated by chromatography on an anti-phosphofructokinase IgG-conjugated affinity column, and purified by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their cross-reactivities to the purified phosphofructokinase were assessed by an immunoelectrotransfer blot method. The intact form of phosphofructokinase in pig liver was demonstrated as the major spot of 84 kDa on the blot. Polypeptides of 68, 64, 56, and 51 kDa showed apparent cross-reactivities to phosphofructokinase. The structural homology among them was confirmed by proteinase V8 digestion followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The possibility of artifacts in preparation was ruled out by an internal tracer method. Thus, it is concluded that the predominant isozyme of phosphofructokinase in pig liver (84 kDa) is in vivo degraded via intermediate catabolic products of 68, 64, 56, and 51 kDa.