Search

A digital phase meter (DPM) for power frequencies with a very low measurement uncertainty of 1 μrad was developed at Japan Electric Meters Inspection Corporation (JEMIC) to establish a power and energy calibration system. We also developed a phase meter calibrator (PMC) for calibrating the DPM. Since the DPM and PMC are synchronized with a single clock, the DPM can be calibrated by a very simple measurement method, which no longer requires extra standards. The DPM has been employed as an instrument for the primary standard of power and energy in Japan to achieve precise phase angle measurement. Since the error in the power measurement at power factor 0 is equal to the error in the phase angle measurement, we verified the performance of the DPM by calibrating a standard power meter using the power calibrators at JEMIC and Physikalische-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and comparing the test results at power factor 0. According to the measurement, the phase angle difference between JEMIC and PTB is within 7 μrad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) and its relatives are viviparous marine fish. Males produce urinary proteins during the copulation season; however, the identity of these proteins was unknown. In this study, we focused on high-molecular-weight urinary proteins (HMWups) in male black rockfish. The HMWups were identified by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of urine. In silico analyses of RNA-seq data predicted the tissue distribution of candidate HMWup transcripts and their gene structures. Candidate cDNAs were cloned and a recombinant protein of a major candidate was prepared. Western blotting of urine using an antiserum against the recombinant protein was performed to reconfirm the LC-MS/MS results. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were employed to validate the prediction by RNA-seq and identify the cells producing HMWups, respectively. LC-MS/MS, in conjunction with Western blotting and cDNA cloning, identified the HMWups as lipocalin-type prostaglandin D 2 synthase (l-PGDS) homologs. RNA-seq analyses and qRT-PCR revealed that the l-PGDS homolog transcripts were dominantly expressed in the testis and male kidney; Sertoli cells and epithelial cells in the renal tubules were immunoreactive. These results indicated that major protein components in the urine of male black rockfish are l-PGDS homologs, potentially produced by the renal tubules in the kidney. Male rockfish (genus Sebastes) are thought to release unknown pheromone substances during mating behavior. The knowledge and tools obtained in this study empower research into the role(s) of HMWups in pheromone systems underlying rockfish reproduction. No protein-type teleost pheromone has heretofore been discovered., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)