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Chlorinated phenol compounds, such as the chlorinated derivatives of bisphenol A, have been detected in effluents from paper manufacturing plants. We investigated the effects of bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and their seven chlorinated derivatives on 3,3',5-[(125)I]triiodothyronine ([(125)I]T(3)) binding to purified chicken and bullfrog transthyretin (cTTR and bTTR) and to the ligand-binding domains of chicken and bullfrog thyroid hormone receptor beta (cTR LBD and bTR LBD). The concentrations at which the chlorinated derivatives displaced [(125)I]T(3) from TTR were 10-10(3) times less than those of their parent molecules. 2,6-Dichloro-4-nonylphenol and 3,3',5-trichlorobisphenol A were the most potent competitors of T(3) binding to cTTR and to bTTR, respectively. The interactions of the chlorinated derivatives with the cTR and the bTR LBDs were weaker than those of the chlorinated derivatives with cTTR and bTTR. Chlorinated derivatives with a greater degree of chlorination were more efficient competitors of T(3) binding to TTR and TR. A structure-activity relationship between the phenol compounds and TTR (TTR assay) and TR (TR assay) was established. Structures with chlorine in either ortho position or both ortho positions, with respect to the hydroxy group, were more efficient competitors. Chemicals that interacted with bTTR, cTTR, and Japanese quail TTR were detected in water downstream of effluents from paper manufacturing plants using the TTR assay. As some of the chlorinated bisphenols and nonylphenols were potent competitors of T(3) binding to TTRs, the TTR assay could be applied as primary screening for possible thyroid-disrupting chemicals in environmental waste water.

We report the first integrated optical head device using a blue-violet laser diode (LD), which is a key device for realizing a small and thin Blu-ray Disc drive. While integrating seven optical elements and semiconductor chips into one device by adopting a molded optical element with high transmittance to the blue-violet wavelength, both small aberration and the small device size of 11 mm×6 mm×4.1 mm have been realized. We have also improved heat dissipation efficiency from this device to the base unit by adopting a newly developed package. At this time, we have implemented a performance evaluation of this small head device and have confirmed its good read/write performance as well as its adequate tolerances required for the Blu-ray Disc system.

To search for a novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide, porcine skeletal troponin was hydrolyzed with pepsin. This hydrolysate showed ACE inhibitory activity, and was applied to various kinds of chromatography to separate an active peptide. Analysis using a protein sequencer identified this peptide as RMLGQTPTK (9mer). This sequence was estimated to occur at the 44–52 position of troponin C, and its 50% inhibitory protein concentration (IC50) was 34 µM. RMLGQTP (7mer), a partial peptide of 9mer, showed activity with an IC50 of 503 µM. RP-HPLC analysis of a reaction mixture of 9mer and ACE showed that 9mer was slowly hydrolyzed by ACE. On the other hand, 7mer was rapidly hydrolyzed by ACE. Activity of 9mer was reduced as its hydrolysis by ACE proceeded. To estimate the resistance of 9mer to digestive proteases after oral administration, it was reacted with pepsin, α-chymotrypsin, or trypsin. In each of these reaction mixtures, a significant amount of 9mer remained as a substrate after digestion. Remaining ACE inhibitory activity was close to that of 9mer. These results suggest that 9mer might not be digested after oral administration, because of its relatively high resistance to digestive proteases. Therefore, 9mer might be expected to work well in vivo as an ACE inhibitor.

In order to clarify one of the biological functions of pork, we investigated whether a peptic hydrolysate of denatured porcine crude myosin showed inhibitory activity against angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), which contributed to hypertension. Our results indicated that this hydrolysate showed relatively strong activity, and we therefore attempted to separate the involved peptides, which were considered to be active substances. To isolate these active peptides, the hydrolysate was separated using a solid- phase separation, gel filtration high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and two kinds of reverse phase HPLC. In each stage of separation, many fractions were detected, almost all of which showed ACE inhibitory activity. Thus, we suggested that the activity of the hydrolysate as a whole was a result of the activities of the many individual peptides. Six peaks were distinguished, with yields from 34 to 596 ppm of original crude myosin. In addition to the six peaks, many other active fractions were found throughout the separation steps, strongly suggesting that whole porcine crude myosin itself had ACE inhibitory activity. Moreover, pork as food was considered to function as an ACE inhibitory material in vivo, because pork proteins consist primarily of crude myosin, which included almost all the myofibrillar structural proteins. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 9 : 1384-1389)

It has been demonstrated with systematic experiments that the appearance and disappearance of multistage martensitic transformation in aged Ni-rich Ti-Ni alloys depend on the heat treatment atmosphere. No multistage transformation occurs when the evaporation of Ti and Ni and/or the preferential oxidation of Ti in the specimen are prevented and the purification of heat treatment atmosphere in an evacuated quartz tube is achieved. The heterogeneity in precipitation morphology of Ti3Ni4 phase which is responsible for the multistage transformation can be suppressed with the regulation of heat treatment atmosphere as mentioned above. We have concluded that the multistage martensitic transformation in aged Ni-rich Ti-Ni alloys is an extrinsic nature, i.e., a kind of artifact during the heat treatment.

Inhibitory activities against angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) of enzymatic hydrolysates of porcine skeletal muscle proteins were investigated. Myosin B, myosin, actin, tropomyosin, troponin and water-soluble proteins extracted from pork loin were digested by eight kinds of proteases, including pepsin, α-chymotrypsin, and trypsin. After digestion, hydrolysates produced from all proteins showed ACE inhibitory activities, and the peptic hydrolysate showed the strongest activity. In the case of myosin B, the molar concentration of peptic hydrolysate required to inhibit 50% of the activity increased gradually as digestion proceeded. The hydrolysates produced by sequential digestion with pepsin and α-chymotrypsin, pepsin and trypsin or pepsin and pancreatin showed weaker activities than those by pepsin alone, suggesting that ACE inhibitory peptides from peptic digestion might lose their active sequences after digestion by the second protease. However, the hydrolysates produced by sequential digestion showed stronger activities than those by α-chymotrypsin, trypsin or pancreatin alone. These results suggested that the hydrolysates of porcine meat were able to show ACE inhibitory activity, even if they were digested in vivo, and that pork might be a useful source of physiologically functional factors. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 3 : 417-424)

We studied the gel properties of porcine collagen with microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) as a catalyst. A creep meter was used to measure the mechanical properties of gel. The results showed samples with high concentration of MTGase gelled faster than those with a low concentration of MTGase. The gel strength increased with incubation time and the peaks of breaking strength for 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5% MTGase were obtained at 40, 20 and 10 min incubation time, respectively. According to SDS-PAGE, the MTGase was successfully created a collagen polymer with an increase in molecular weight, whereas no change in formation was shown without MTGase. The sample with 0.5% MTGase began to polymerize after 10 or 20 min incubation at 50°C, and complete polymerization occurred after 40-60 min incubation. Scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the gel of porcine collagen in the presence of MTGase produced an extremely well cross-linked network. The differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed the peak thermal transition of porcine collagen gel was at 36°C, and that with MTGase no peak was detected during heating from 20 to 120°C. The melting point of porcine collagen gel could be controlled by MTGase concentration, incubation temperature and protein concentration. Knowledge of the structural and physicochemical properties of porcine collagen gel catalyzed with MTGase could facilitate their use in food products. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 2 : 269-276)

平成14年3月19日から4月2日までの日程で,計22名から構成されたニューパルツ学術訪問団が派遣された。今回の学術訪問団派遣は同時に研修旅行の意味合いも持ち,滞在中に施設訪問や英会話研修も行った。ここに記念すべき第1回の新見公立短期大学のニューパルツヘの学術訪問団派遣についてまとめ,今後の両大学の交流に役立てたい。

Cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (9c, 11t CLA) is a potential anticarcinogen that is found in higher concentrations in beef lipids. However, the effect of CLA on lipid peroxidation, which is closely related to carcinogenesis, is controversial. In this study, we determined the levels of 9c, 11t CLA contents and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the tissues of rats fed beef lipid. Sprague-Dawley rats (male, 8 weeks old) were fed experimental diets containing 20% lyophilized beef, and 12% beef tallow or vegetable oils, for 56 days. With the exception of the brain, the tissues from the rats fed the experimental diets accumulated 9c, 11t CLA, depending on the levels of CLA in the diets. The beef tallow group showed significantly higher 9c, 11t CLA contents in all tissues examined than the other diet groups. The intake of beef lipid did not affect the TBARS levels in the rat tissues. The hepatic lipid content from the beef tallow group was lower than that from the group fed vegetable oils. These results suggest that beef is a good source of 9c, 11t CLA, and that the intake of an appropriate level of beef lipid is not hazardous to health.

The sensitization behavior of types 308 and 316 stainless steel weld metals as internal overlays for reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) was studied with respect to the effects of postweld heat treatment (PWHT) at about 600 °C during RPV fabrication and low-temperature aging during operation. For the study, a criterion for the rate of intergranular corrosion (IGC) for detecting the susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in high-temperature oxygenated pure water was established by quantitatively evaluating the results from a modified ASTM A262E test. A criterion for expecting satisfactory resistance to IGSCC was found to be an IGC rate of about 1 µm/h. Type 308 weld metal can be sensitized as indicated by an IGC rate >1 µm/h, and can be healed, as indicated by an IGC rate

A Ti-matrix composite reinforced by a TiPd-based shape memory alloy (SMA) with the composition of Ti–25at.%Pd–24at.%Ni–1at.%W was fabricated by sheath rolling of the SMA plates (whose austenite start temperature was 465 K) and Ti matrix plates, which were alternatively laminated and inserted in a SUS304 stainless steel pipe before rolling. Heat-treated sheath-rolled composite was found to have a multi-layered interface structure between the SMA plate and Ti plates. The thermomechanical behavior of the composite was investigated experimentally and analytically. The 0.5% yield stresses of the composite increased with increasing temperature at temperatures higher than A s (0). This stress behavior could be explained based on a one-dimensional analytical model. Hence, it can be concluded that the stress increase is caused by the accumulation of residual compressive stress formed in the matrix by a martensite-to-austenite transformation of the SMA during heating and the yield stress increase of the SMA at high temperature.

Type 308 weld metal overlaid on a low-alloy steel by a submerged arc welding (SAW) process using wide strip electrodes can become sensitized by not only postweld heat treatments (PWHTs) at around 600 °C but also low-temperature aging (LTA) at 500 °C for 24 hours after PWHT. A slow strain-rate test (SSRT) in oxygenated, high-temperature pure water revealed that type 308 SAW weld metals after PWHT were susceptible to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) when sensitized such that the intergranular corrosion (IGC) rate in the modified ASTM A262E test exceeds 1 µm/h. The effect of microstructure (ferrite phase distribution) on the sensitization behavior was evaluated using a microstructural parameter NLβ−γ. Though mostly useful, the average NLβ−γ was not always accurate in distinguishing IGC-susceptible, SAW overlay weld metals. However, local NLβ−γ, newly introduced to deal with a rather large fluctuation in ferrite distribution within SAW overlay weld metals, was partly able to explain the IGC susceptibility of a theoretically resistant heat with a high average NLβ−γ. The beneficial effect of surface remelting by plasma arc on the IGC resistance was described.

Type 308 stainless steel weld metal as an internal cladding of reactor pressure vessels for boiling water reactors is subject to postweld heat treatment during fabrication and can suffer sensitization depending on carbon and ferrite contents. This sensitization can be avoided by using niobium-added Type 308 weld metal (specified as Type 308 NbL) which was developed for one-layer overlay welding application. In the present study, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of heat-treated Types 308 and 308NbL weld metals in oxygenated high temperature pure water was evaluated by slow strain rate test and U-bend tests with and without crevice. Every test showed that Type 308NbL weld metals were highly resistant to SCC compared to ordinary Type 308 weld metals. In single U-bend test, one-layer overlay weld metals of Type 308NbL produced by electroslag welding process using wide strip electrodes were crack free over 23,000 h. The U-bend test data of ordinary Type 308 weld metals were successfully analyzed by an SCC reaction model. Using this analysis, the SCC life margin for Type 308NbL over ordinary Type 308 weld metals, expressed as a ratio of respective times to SCC initiation, was estimated to be about 36.

A very short hemoglobin (CerHb; 109 amino acids) binds O 2 cooperatively in the nerve tissue of the nemertean worm Cerebratulus lacteus to sustain neural activity during anoxia. Sequence analysis suggests that CerHb tertiary structure may be unique among the known globin fold evolutionary variants. The X-ray structure of oxygenated CerHb (R factor 15.3%, at 1.5 A resolution) displays deletion of the globin N-terminal A helix, an extended GH region, a very short H helix, and heme solvent shielding based on specific aromatic residues. The heme-bound O 2 is stabilized by hydrogen bonds to the distal TyrB10-GlnE7 pair. Ligand access to heme may take place through a wide protein matrix tunnel connecting the distal site to a surface cleft located between the E and H helices.

Previous studies have shown that the vacuolar-ATPase (V-ATPase) of the contractile vacuole complexes (CVCs) in Paramecium multimicronucleatum is necessary for fluid segregation and osmoregulation. In the current study, immunofluorescence showed that the development of a new CVC begins with the formation of a new pore around which the collecting canals form. The decorated membranes are then deposited around the newly formed collecting canals. Quick-freeze deep-etch techniques reveal that six 10-nm-wide V-ATPase V, sectors, tightly packed into a 20 x 30-nm rectangle, form two rows of these compacted sectors that helically wrap around the cytosolic side of decorated membrane tubules. During new CVC formation, packing of decorated tubules around mature CVCs was temporarily disrupted so that some of these decorated tubules became transformed into decorated vesicles. Freeze-fracturing of these decorated vesicles revealed a highly pitted E-face and a particulate P-face. The V-ATPase was purified for the first time in any ciliated protozoan and shown to contain, as in other cells, the V1 subunits A to E, and four 14-20 kDa polypeptides. The B subunit was cloned and found to be encoded by one gene containing four short introns. This subunit has 510 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 56.8 kDa, a value similar to B subunits of other organisms. Except for the N- and C-termini, it has a 75% sequence identity with other B subunits, suggesting that the B subunits in Paramecium, like other species, have been conserved and that the entire surface of this subunit may be important in interacting with other subunits.

A cytosolic thyroid-hormone-binding protein (xCTBP), predominantly responsible for the major binding activity of T3 in the cytosol of Xenopus liver, has been shown to be identical to aldehyde dehydrogenase class 1 (ALDH1) [Yamauchi, K., Nakajima, J., Hayashi, H., Horiuchi, R. & Tata, J.R. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 8460-8469]. Within this paper we surveyed which signaling, and other, compounds affect the thyroid hormone binding activity and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity of recombinant Xenopus ALDH1 (xCTBP/xALDH1) while examining the relationship between these two activities. NAD+ and NADH (each 200 microm), and two steroids (20 microm), inhibit significantly the T3-binding activity, while NADH and NADPH (each 200 microm), and iodothyronines (1 microm), inhibit the ALDH activity. Scatchard analysis and kinetic studies of xCTBP/xALDH1 indicate that NAD+ and T3 are noncompetitive inhibitors of thyroid-hormone-binding and ALDH activities, respectively. These results indicate the formation of a ternary complex consisting of the protein, NAD+ and thyroid hormone. Although the in vitro studies indicate that NAD+ and NADH markedly decrease T3-binding to xCTBP/xALDH1 at approximately 10-4 m, a concentration equal to the NAD content in various Xenopus tissues, photoaffinity-labeling of [125I]T3 using cultured Xenopus cells demonstrates xCTBP/xALDH1 bound T3 within living cells. These results raise the possibility that an unknown factor(s) besides NAD+ and NADH may modulate the thyroid-hormone-binding activity of xCTBP/xALDH1. In comparison, thyroid hormone, at its physiological concentration, would poorly modulate the enzyme activity of xCTBP/xALDH1.

Polymerization of heated or unheated pig skin collagen using microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) was investigated. Pig skin collagen samples were heated or left unheated, then enzymatically polymerized with MTGase. SDS-PAGE was conducted to confirm the intermolecular polymer and the results showed similar bands between samples without MTGase and unheated samples with MTGase. The polymerized product of pig skin collagen was not formed in unheated samples, even when MTGase was added during incubation. Different results were obtained from samples heated at 80°C and 100°C for 2 min, whereas the SDS-PAGE pattern indicated that a polymer band was generated in both cases. The heat treatment successfully modified the native structure of collagen and also made collagen more reactable in the MTGase polymerization system. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) investigation of pig skin collagen showed a biopolymer structure through intermolecular collagen crosslinking, while there were no intermolecular crosslinks in samples not treated with MTGase. There were no significant differences in fibril diameter between treated samples and controls. These results suggest that heat treatment of native pig skin collagen enhanced the polymerization capability of MTGase. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 8 : 1204-1209)

Ti and Ti-2Cu matrix composites reinforced by TiPd-based shape memory alloys (SMAs) were fabricated by sheath rolling of Ti or Ti-2Cu plates with TiPd fiber. Fibers of three TiPd SMAs were used as reinforcements. The Young's modulus of TiPd fiber increased with increasing temperature above austenite start temperature, A s . Good bonding between the fiber and matrix was obtained by heat treatment at 1123 K for 3.6 ks following sheath rolling at the same temperature. A multi-layered reaction region was formed in the vicinity of the interface between Ti or Ti-2Cu matrix and TiPd-based SMA fiber. Tensile tests were performed at various temperatures for Ti-2Cu matrix composites containing Ti–22Pd–27Ni–1W and Ti/Ti–25Pd–24Ni–1W fiber. It was found that the 0.5% offset stress of these composites increased with increasing temperature. This stress increase is mainly caused by residual compressive stresses generated in association with shape memory effects of the TiPd-based SMAs. Surface observations of fractured specimens showed that interfacial layers were fractured in a ductile fracture mode.

This paper analyzes some of the issues regarding the belief that a company’s values are encapsulated in its corporate philosophy and that conveying these values is what corporate communication is all about. It draws upon the results of a 1997 survey, by the author, of 76 representative Japanese global enterprises on the current state of their overseas business.

Collagen (type I from calf-skin) was chemically modified by 4-butyrothiolactone to obtain the mercapto group-bearing collagen (collagenSH), which possessed SH groups in 8-19 M% of a total amino acid residues. The triple helical strands of the collagen was not completely perturbed to exhibit the rotary dispersion [theta]221, which was as much as 70% of an original intensity of the collagen. In the presence of the oxygen dissolved in water, the collagenSH was cross-linked by disulfide bonds to afford the collagenSS. The collagenSS could preserve about 15 and 40% of an original helix structure at 55-70 degrees C and in 2mm sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively. The film made of the collagenSS exhibited the tensile strength as high as 36 MPa and was insoluble in most organic solvents including water. The collagenSS film was more resistant to degradation by collagenase (type I) than the collagen film. The collagenSS film supported the growth of L929 fibroblast cell in a manner similar to a collagen film.

Vinyl mercaptoacetate S-sulfate sodium salt (VMAS) was prepared with a yield of 74% from a reaction of vinyl chloroacetate and sodium thiosulfate. Polymerization of VMAS with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) in the presence of ammonium persulfate and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine afforded a color less copolymer bearing the S-SO - 3 Na + group in 3.2-4.3 mol-% and having a MW of 2.2-13 x 10 4 . The polymer was water-solube but, upon treatment with an oxidizing agent, was transformed quickly into a water-tolerant material. It again became water-soluble on the addition of a reducing agent. The unique solubility alternation was explained by the formation and fission of S-S bond crosslinking in the polymer.

The feasibility of fecal steroid analysis for pregnancy diagnosis and sex determination were tested in sika deer (Cervus nippon). Feces were collected from captive sika deer in June (non-breeding season and late-pregnancy period) and October (breeding season), and also from the rectum of 24 female sika deer (19 pregnant and 5 non-pregnant females) shot as part of programs for population control in February and March (mid-pregnancy period). In mid- and late-pregnancy periods, fecal progesterone concentrations were significantly higher in pregnant female than in male and non-pregnant female deer. In October, fecal testosterone concentrations were higher in adult male deer, and no difference was found between young males and females. These results suggest that fecal steroid analysis would be a useful means for estimating pregnancy status and for detecting adult male among wild deer.

本稿は新見公立短期大学(旧新見女子短期大学)の概略を英語で説明したものである。新見公立短期大学の立地条件,設立形態,略歴,在学生数,教職員数,諸経費などがまず説明される。続いて各学科の理念,教育目的,教育目標が述べられ,最後に学友会活動についての説明がある。新見公立短期大学は1980年4月に開学し,2000年3月で満20周年を迎えた。また2000年9月には,開学20周年記念行事が行われた。国際化が進む中,本学でも1998年よりオーストラリアへの研修旅行を実施,1999年大佐町を通じアメリカ合衆国ニューヨーク州立大学ニューパルツ校との協定が結ばれた。また新見市を通じノースカロライナ州グリーンズボロ市との交流が進み,当地の大学との学術交流も望まれる。看護学科では1996年より特別選抜入試において帰国子女枠があり,外国からの問い合わせに万全の体制を持って臨む必要がある。このような状況を考えてみると,開学20周年にあたり,本学の概要を英語でまとめておくことは,極めて重要なことと思われる。

本稿は新見公立短期大学の設置母体の一つである岡山県阿哲郡大佐町の名所旧跡等の英語による案内文および日本的事象の英文説明である。まずは大佐町の概要およびその歴史,町旗についての説明をした。次に町内の円通寺山門,円通寺古墳,大佐神社,方谷庵,山田方谷,竜王太鼓の名所旧跡と伝統文化の説明をし,続いて町内の福祉施設である大佐荘およびおおさ苑の説明をした。そして伝統的日本文化の独楽,羽根つき,絵手紙,扇面,七夕,盆踊りの説明もした。大佐町とアメリカ合衆国ニューヨーク州ニューパルツ・ヴィレッジは1998年に姉妹都市縁組を結び,以後活発な交流を続けている。これまで相互に各2度ずつ訪問団を派遣し,2000年度からは大佐町から中学生の派遣も開始された。2000年8月ニューパルツ・ヴィレッジからの訪問団が来町し,筆者は訪問団のための通訳を担当した。以下は訪問団を町内に案内したときに作成した資料に加筆したものである。

In an attempt to develop a technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect DNA in Paramecium, we examined three different DNA probes, total genomic DNA, genomic DNA encoding C5 phagosomal membrane antigen, and telomere, prepared from P. multimicronucleatum. In accordance with the conventional method, total genomic DNA probe was denatured at 75–80°C for 2 min, and the cells were denatured at 75, 80, 85, or 90°C for 5 or 10 min. The homogeneous hybridization signal with the total genomic DNA probe was obtained at 85°C for 10 min, or at 90°C for 5 min or 10 min. This condition was applied for the smaller DNA probe, C5 (1. 3 kb, the size close to detection limits), in which the expected tiny signals throughout the macronuclear nucleoplasm was observed. However, the condition was not successful for the telomeric DNA probe. The hybridization signals of telomeric DNA were only detected when both cells and probes were denatured simultaneously in a same denaturation buffer. In the case of...

Transthyretin (TTR) is responsible for a major part of the binding of thyroid hormone to proteins in the plasma in amphibian tadpoles. To characterize the binding properties of amphibian TTRs, the effects of 17 hydrophobic signaling molecules, including 6 endocrine disruptors, on 3,5,3'-l-[(125)I]triiodothyronine ([(125)I]T(3)) binding to plasma proteins were examined in bullfrog Rana catesbeiana tadpoles. T(3) was the most potent competitive inhibitor among the 11 natural biological ligands studied, with an ID(50) of 8 nM. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was the most powerful inhibitor among the 6 endocrine disruptors studied, with an ID(50) of 20 nM. Similar inhibitions of [(125)I]T(3) binding by these compounds were obtained when purified recombinant Xenopus and Rana TTRs were analyzed. Scatchard analysis revealed that Xenopus and Rana TTRs each possessed a single class of binding site for T(3), with a K(d) of 262 and 1.9 nM, respectively, at 0 degrees C. DES, at a concentration of 200 nM, induced the uptake of [(125)I]T(3) into Rana red blood cells suspended in Rana plasma from prometamorphic stages XIII-XV, when TTR is present in plasma. DES induced the uptake of [(125)I]T(3) into red blood cells to a lesser extent when they were suspended in Rana plasma from metamorphic climax stage XXIV, in which the level of TTR was lower than in plasma from the prometamorphic tadpoles. These results indicate that amphibian TTRs have the ability to bind DES with similar affinity to T(3), the natural ligand, and raise the possibility that DES binding to TTR might induce the temporary elevation of the free concentration of plasma T(3) followed by acceleration of cellular T(3) uptake.

Small hemoproteins displaying amino acid sequences 20-40 residues shorter than (non-)vertebrate hemoglobins (Hbs) have recently been identified in several pathogenic and non-pathogenic unicellular organisms, and named 'truncated hemoglobins' (trHbs). They have been proposed to be involved not only in oxygen transport but also in other biological functions, such as protection against reactive nitrogen species, photosynthesis or to act as terminal oxidases. Crystal structures of trHbs from the ciliated protozoan Paramecium caudatum and the green unicellular alga Chlamydomonas eugametos show that the tertiary structure of both proteins is based on a 'two-over-two' alpha-helical sandwich, reflecting an unprecedented editing of the classical 'three-over-three' alpha-helical globin fold. Based on specific Gly-Gly motifs the tertiary structure accommodates the deletion of the N-terminal A-helix and replacement of the crucial heme-binding F-helix with an extended polypeptide loop. Additionally, concerted structural modifications allow burying of the heme group and define the distal site, which hosts a TyrB10, GlnE7 residue pair. A set of structural and amino acid sequence consensus rules for stabilizing the fold and the bound heme in the trHbs homology subfamily is deduced.

For tunneling, it is very important to understand the characteristic of the-rock around the tunnel. A new method of rock property investigation by using a compact vertical seismic prospecting system is proposed. This system consists of a probe attached vibration sensor, computer and trigger system. A superelastic alloy plate is used to press the probe flexibly against borehole surface.

本資料は新見女子短期大学(現新見公立短期大学,以下原則的に本学と略す)の幼児教育学科第1期生から第18期生までのうち,幼稚園・保育園等に就職した卒業生などを対象にそれぞれの勤務する(していた)園における英語教育の取り組みについて尋ねたアンケート(資料1参照)の回答結果を分析したものである。またその分析結果について考察を加え,幼児期からの英語教育への取り組みに関する筆者の考え,将来幼児教育者になる学生に短大在学中にどのような英語を身につけさせたらよいかについての私見を述べたものである。

新見女子短期大学紀要は開学直後の1980年に創刊され,以来年刊誌として刊行が継続されて現在に至っている。1999年度からは,大学の名称が新見公立短期大学と変更されたことに伴い,誌名を新見公立短期大学紀要と変更し,継承誌として第20巻から刊行を継続することになった。第1巻は掲載論文9編・総ページ数115ページであった。その後,掲載論文数・総ページ数ともに増加を続け,第19巻(1998年)では掲載論文20編・総ページ数240ページと創刊時の2倍以上となった。本学紀要は,掲載論文の専門分野が多種多様である。このため,書式・体裁・文献の記載法などについては最小限の統一をはかり,細目については各専門分野の慣習にまかせる編集方針を採っている。教員に研究発表の場を提供するために,刊行費節約の努力を続けながらも,本学紀要の今後の発展を計りたい。

An mAb was raised to the C5 phagosomal antigen in Paramecium multimicronucleatum. To determine its function, the cDNA and genomic DNA encoding C5 were cloned. This antigen consisted of 315 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 36,594, a value similar to that determined by SDS-PAGE. Sequence comparisons uncovered a low but significant homology with aSchizosaccharomyces pombe protein and the C-terminal half of the β-fructofuranosidase protein of Zymomonas mobilis. Lacking an obvious transmembrane domain or a possible signal sequence at the N terminus, C5 was predicted to be a soluble protein, whereas immunofluorescence data showed that it was present on the membranes of vesicles and digestive vacuoles (DVs). In cells that were minimally permeabilized but with intact DVs, C5 was found to be located on the cytosolic surface of the DV membranes. Immunoblotting of proteins from the purified and KCl-washed DVs showed that C5 was tightly bound to the DV membranes. Cryoelectron microscopy also confirmed that C5 was on the cytosolic surface of the discoidal vesicles, acidosomes, and lysosomes, organelles known to fuse with the membranes of the cytopharynx, the DVs of stages I (DV-I) and II (DV-II), respectively. Although C5 was concentrated more on the mature than on the young DV membranes, the striking observation was that the cytopharyngeal membrane that is derived from the discoidal vesicles was almost devoid of C5. Approximately 80% of the C5 was lost from the discoidal vesicle-derived membrane after this membrane fused with the cytopharyngeal membrane. Microinjection of the mAb to C5 greatly inhibited the fusion of the discoidal vesicles with the cytopharyngeal membrane and thus the incorporation of the discoidal vesicle membranes into the DV membranes. Taken together, these results suggest that C5 is a membrane protein that is involved in binding and/or fusion of the discoidal vesicles with the cytopharyngeal membrane that leads to DV formation.

Yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata were fed on extrusion pellets supplemented with 12 (group I) or 88 (group ‡U)mg/100g of ƒ?-tocopherol (ƒ?-Toc) for 46 days and then injected with the causative bacter ia of fish jaundice. Changes in hematological values, bilirubin, ƒ?-Toc and ascorbic acid (ASA) contents and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values in the liver and plasma were analyzed. Growth rate and feeding efficiency were not significantly different between the groups. Seven days after infection, mortality was 0 and 40% in group I and ‡U, respectively. The infection brought about hemoly sis and jaundice in both fish. Judging from mortality and bilirubin contents in the plasma, jaundice was more serious in the fish of group ‡U than in fish of group I. Considering prooxidant activity of ƒ?-Toc, this result might be caused by high ƒ?-Toc accumulation and low ascorbic acid contents in group ‡U fish tissues.

ブリの黄疸が生体内脂質過酸化により引き起こされるかどうかを知るため, フェニルヒドラジン(PH)をブリに投与した。その結果, ヘモグロビン量の低下, 血漿2-チオバルビツール酸反応物質値とビリルビン量の増加およびα-トコフェロールとアスコルビン酸量の減少並びに肝臓ヘムオキシゲナーゼm-RNAの増加が, PH投与により認められた。すなわち, PH投与によるブリの高ビリルビン血症は, 強い酸化的ストレスによるヘムオキシゲナーゼの誘導がビリルビン合成を促進したために発症したと考えられる。

The five most widely accepted procedures for preparing fatty acid methyl esters in food lipids were investigated for their suitability in capillary gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (c-9, t-11 CLA) in meat. A modified procedure of fatty acid methyl esterification was developed and the method was applied to determine c-9, t-11 CLA content in some meats. This method involved hydrolysis of lipids with 0.5M KOH in methanol at 100°C for 5min, followed by esterification with aqueous HCI (35%)/ methanol (1:1 v/v) at 100°C for 5min. The resulting c-9, t-11 CLA methyl ester was separated by gas-liquid chromatograph equipped with a capillary column and determined using tricosanoic acid as an internal standard. Meat from ruminant animals considerably contained more c-9, t-11 CLA than those from non-ruminant animals in the following order: goat meat, beef, mutton, pork, and chicken. The amount in goat meat (6.35mg/g lipid) was 10-fold greater than those in pork and chicken.

Poly(acrylamide) hydrogels crosslinked by bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by the introduction of vinyl groups into BSA and subsequent co-polymerization with acrylamide (AAm). The hydrogels were loaded with four structurally resembled benzoic acid derivatives such as salicylic acid, o-anisic acid, salicylamide and sodium benzoate, and their release from the hydrogel was investigated. The affinity of these four compounds for BSA gradually decreased in a following order; salicylic acid > o-anisic acid > salicylamide > sodium benzoate. The amounts of compounds loaded on a hydrogel of high BSA content and the duration of their release were found to be dependent on the affinity for BSA clearly reflecting the subtle difference in BSA affinity of each compound. Therefore, this hydrogel would be used not only as a sustained drug release carrier, but also a facile tool to evaluate the binding of various compounds to serum albumin.

The jaundiced yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata had yellow discolored skin and hyperbilirubinemia. Histology revealed that hemosiderin and ceroid occurred in the spleen. In the vascular system, there were vasculitis and sinusoidal dilatation. Hepatic cells showed degenerative figures with pyknotic or karyolytic nuclei, basophilic cytoplasm, cytoplasmic vacuoles in various sizes, and ceroidosis. In the bile duct system, however, there was no noticeable change. Hemoglobin contents of jaundiced fish were similar to those of control fish. Plasma taurine levels of jaundiced fish were significantly lower than those of control ( p 〈0.05). Judging from 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values, in vivo lipid peroxidation progressed in the liver of jaundiced fish. In the plasma of jaundiced fish, contents of unconjugated bilirubin were significantly higher than those of conjugated bilirubin. A large amount of substance Xs, breakdown products of bilirubin scavenging active oxygen species, existed in the plasma of jaundiced fish. Therefore, jaundiced fish may suffer from severe oxidative stress, which might be a principal cause of jaundice. Liver superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities of jaundiced yellowtail were significantly lower than those of controls.

A synthetic method for triple-helical peptides was developed. Peptides with and without glutamic acid α-thioester at their N-termini are prepared by the solid-phase method. These peptides are crosslinked at their N-termini one by one to generate trimeric peptides using the activation of the thioester group by silver ions. This method was applied to the synthesis of model peptides, which mimic the binding site of modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the human scavenger receptor (SR). These models possessed different spacers, which connect the peptide chains and the crosslinking site. CD and DSC analysis of the peptides revealed that spacer length has a critical effect on the stability of the triple helix.

The surface tension of aqueous solutions of the amphiphiles, (3RS, 7R, 11R)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecyl-X where X is SO4−Na+, PO4H−Na+, N+(CH3)3Br−, N+(C2H5)3Br−, etc., was studied at 25–75°C. The polyisoprenoid surfactants provided the surface tension of 26–31 mN m−1, which was lower by 10–15 mN m−1 than that of corresponding straight chain-analogues. The results were discussed in conjunction with an unordered fluid state of the highly branched hydrocarbon chains at an air-water interface.

Xenopus cytosolic thyroid-hormone-binding proteins (CTBPs) were examined by a photoaffinity labeling and [ 125 I]T 3 -binding assay. An affinity-labeled protein of 59 kDa, which was responsible for the major T 3 -binding activity in adult tissues, was predominant in liver. The 59-kDa CTBP first appeared in significant amounts at the metamorphic climax stage in liver cytosol and continued to be expressed after metamorphosis. Another affinity-labeled CTBP of 38 kDa appeared at the metamorphic climax stage in cytosol from head region, but disappeared after this stage. T 3 -binding assay using whole cytosol showed that a distinct CTBP, although not photoaffinity-labeled, was present in cytosol from hindlimb bud and gradually disappeared as the hindlimb grew. The cytosol from liver, head region, and hindlimb bud contained high affinity binding sites for T 3 with K d values ranging from 10 −9 to 10 −8 M. These results suggest that there are at least three distinct CTBPs in Xenopus cytosol, which are expressed in a tissue-dependent and developmentally regulated manner.

Archaebacterial lipids are featured by C20-, C25-and C40-polyisoprenoid chains connected to a glycerol moiety by an ether linkage. The polyisoprenoid lipids including model compounds gave rise to double layer, unilayer and Q phase-like membranes. The morphology depended strongly on the structure of the lipids. The liposomal membranes made of the polyisoprenoid lipids were very stable at high temperature without undergoing morphological perturbation. The membranes were highly resistant to permeation of protons and various organic compounds as well as inorganic salts. It was also found that the surface energy of the molecular assemblies were extraordinally low, some approaching to the value of fluorocabon materials. These properties and functions were explained by fluidity of each polyisoprenoid chain and rigidity of an polyisoprenoid chain-array in the membranes.