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MarR family proteins regulate the transcription of multiple antibiotic-resistance genes and are widely found in bacteria and archaea. Recently, a new MarR family gene was identified by genome analysis of the psychrophilic bacterium Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14, which was isolated from sediment-laden basal ice in Antarctica. In this study, the crystal structure of the MarR protein from Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14 (PaMarR) was determined at 1.6 Å resolution. In the crystal structure, a novel lipid-type compound (palmitic acid) was found in a deep cavity, which was assumed to be an effector-binding site. Comparative structural analysis of homologous MarR family proteins from a mesophile and a hyperthermophile showed that the DNA-binding domain of PaMarR exhibited relatively high mobility, with a disordered region between the β1 and β2 strands. In addition, structural comparison with other homologous complex structures suggests that this structure constitutes a conformer transformed by palmitic acid. Biochemical analysis also demonstrated that PaMarR binds to cognate DNA, where PaMarR is known to recognize two putative binding sites depending on its molar concentration, indicating that PaMarR binds to its cognate DNA in a stoichiometric manner. The present study provides structural information on the cold-adaptive MarR protein with an aliphatic compound as its putative effector, extending the scope of MarR family protein research.

Axial-flux permanent-magnet synchronous motors (AFPMSMs) have a higher torque density than radial-flux permanent-magnet synchronous motors (RFPMSMs); therefore, AFPMSMs are widely used in high-power and high-efficiency motors. However, in the case of AFPMSMs, three-dimensional production is limited, less mass production is available, and the production unit cost is high because the shape of the motor is implemented by rolling the amorphous electrical steel sheet or molding the soft magnetic composite (SMC) to manufacture the motor. Therefore, in this paper, a 3D-printed AFPMSM is proposed, which takes high torque density including the AFPMSM shoe to mold existing SMC into shape when producing the AFPMSM using 3D printing. Further, hybrid AFPMSM, which is made by heeding, is proposed. To reduce core loss with 3D-printed AFPMSM, the core loss of the proposed hybrid AFPMSM was compared to that of the target RFPMSM in this study. The 3D-printed AFPMSM showed a 48% increase in core loss compared to the target motor. However, the proposed hybrid AFPMSM reduced the ratio of the electrical steel sheet by more than 25% compared to 3D-printed AFPMSM. The validity of the proposed model was verified using the finite element method.

Demagnetization of permanent magnets (PMs) directly leads to deterioration of the performance characteristics of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). Therefore, the design process of a PMSM generally considers the demagnetization of PMs. In this paper, we propose a design process of spoke-type PMSMs considering the demagnetization performance of PMs and magnetization performance directly related to mass production. Unlike other motors, it is difficult to obtain magnetization performance suitable for mass production using spoke-type PMSM unless magnetization performance is considered in the design stage. Therefore, the design process proposed in this paper would be a good guide for engineers designing spoke-type PMSMs in the industry. Finally, to verify the validity of the proposed design process, a real motor was fabricated, and its performance was evaluated experimentally.

Crystal structures of enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) isomerase from Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 (BoECI) and enoyl-CoA hydratase from Hymenobacter sp. PAMC 26628 (HyECH) were determined at 2.35 and 2.70 Å resolution, respectively. BoECI and HyECH are members of the crotonase superfamily and are enzymes known to be involved in fatty acid degradation. Structurally, these enzymes are highly similar except for the orientation of their C-terminal helix domain. Analytical ultracentrifugation was performed to determine the oligomerization states of BoECI and HyECH revealing they exist as trimers in solution. However, their putative ligand-binding sites and active site residue compositions are dissimilar. Comparative sequence and structural analysis revealed that the active site of BoECI had one glutamate residue (Glu135), this site is occupied by an aspartate in some ECIs, and the active sites of HyECH had two highly conserved glutamate residues (Glu118 and Glu138). Moreover, HyECH possesses a salt bridge interaction between Glu98 and Arg152 near the active site. This interaction may allow the catalytic Glu118 residue to have a specific conformation for the ECH enzyme reaction. This salt bridge interaction is highly conserved in known bacterial ECH structures and ECI enzymes do not have this type of interaction. Collectively, our comparative sequential and structural studies have provided useful information to distinguish and classify two similar bacterial crotonase superfamily enzymes.

In this article, a correction coefficient is proposed to reduce the error between 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA) and 3-D FEA results. The 2-D FEA results of flux-concentrating machines, such as a spoke-type permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), show considerable error compared to 3-D FEA results because of 3-D effects. Therefore, 3-D FEA is required to predict the performances precisely for this kind of machine, but it is a time-consuming task. This article proposes the correction coefficient to get accurate results with 2-D FEA. Compared to previous studies, the proposed coefficient can consider the effect of both axial linkage flux and axial leakage flux. Furthermore, the proposed general-purpose correction coefficient could be easily applied to any complex-shaped spoke-type PMSM without complex mathematical calculations. In order to verify the proposed correction coefficient, 2-D and 3-D FEA were performed on various models. Finally, the validity was finally verified through comparison with actual experimental results for prototypes with particular specifications.

Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are well-characterized proteins responsible for the cold-adaptation mechanisms. Despite extensive structural and biological investigation of IBPs and antifreeze proteins, only a few studies have considered the relationship between protein stabilization and thermal hysteresis (TH) activity as well as the implication of hyperactivity. Here, we investigated the important role of the head capping region in stabilization and the hyper-TH activity of FfIBP using molecular dynamics simulation. Data comparison revealed that residues on the ice-binding site of the hyperactive FfIBP are immobilized, which could be correlated with TH activity. Further comparison analysis indicated the disulfide bond in the head region is mainly involved in protein stabilization and is crucial for hyper-TH activity. This finding could also be generalized to known hyperactive IBPs. Furthermore, in mimicking the physiological conditions, bacteria with membrane-anchored FfIBP formed brine pockets in a TH activity-dependent manner. Cells with a higher number of TH-active IBPs showed an increased number of brine pockets, which may be beneficial for short- and long-term survival in cold environments by reducing the salt concentration. The newly identified conditions for hyper-TH activity and their implications on bacterial survival provide insights into novel mechanistic aspects of cold adaptation in polar microorganisms.

A spoke type permanent magnet synchronous motor generates axial leakage magnetic flux due to its flux-concentrating rotor structure, and therefore degrades the motor performance. Although a three-dimensional finite element method (3-D FEM) can be used to estimate the axial leakage magnetic flux, it requires a significant amount of time for analysis. In this article, a calibration coefficient is proposed to estimate the axial leakage magnetic flux using the two-dimensional finite element method (2-D FEM) instead of 3-D FEM. This calibration coefficient is expressed in terms of the major geometric parameters of a motor and can be calculated using the material information of the permanent magnet and the bridge of the rotor core in 2-D FEM. The validity of the proposed equation is verified through 3-D FEM and other tests.

Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) inhibit the growth and recrystallization of intracellular ice, enabling polar organisms to survive at subzero temperatures. IBPs are promising materials in biomedical applications such as cryopreservation and the hypothermic storage of cells, tissues, and organs. In this study, recombinant IBP from the antarctic bacterium Flavobacterium frigoris PS1 (FfIBP) was produced by Escherichia coli used as bioreactor, to examine the feasibility of scale-up. Oxygen transfer was the most important factor influencing cell growth and FfIBP production during pilot-scale fermentation. The final yield of recombinant FfIBP produced by E. coli harboring the pET28a-FfIBP vector system was 1.6 g/L, 3.8-fold higher than that from the previously published report using pCold I-FfIBP vector system, and its thermal hysteresis activity was 2.5°C at 9.7 µM. This study demonstrates the successful pilot-scale production of FfIBP.

This letter presents a position sensorless control method of brushless dc (BLDC) motors considering unbalanced zero-crossing detection of back electromotive force (back EMF). The zero-crossing point (ZCP) of back EMF voltage is detected by comparing the dc-link voltage with the back EMF voltage. The unbalanced ZCP detection is caused by the dc-link voltage drop, dc-link offset voltage, and a motor having asymmetric back EMFs. Because the sensorless BLDC motor control is based on unbalanced ZCP detection, issues with torque ripple and current ripple may be increased. Therefore, sensorless operation with unbalanced ZCP detection may be unstable. In this study, an improved sensorless control method based on a simple compensation algorithm using ZCP signals is proposed. Using the proposed control method, balanced commutation instants can be obtained and the benefits of high-performance operation of BLDC motors can be accomplished. Through application of the proposed method, the effectiveness of the proposed method was experimentally verified.

Due to the increasing use of Electric Vehicles (EVs), the effect of the EV charging power demand on the reliability of the power system infrastructure needs to be addressed. In apartment complexes, which have emerged as a common residential type in metropolitan areas and highly populated districts, high charging demand could result in substantial stress to distribution networks. In this work, the effect of EV charging power demand in an apartment complex on the aging of the Distribution Transformer (DT) is studied. A methodology based on the stochastic characterization of vehicle usage profiles and user charging patterns is developed to obtain realistic EV charging demand profiles. Based on the modeled EV charging profile and the transformer thermal model, the effect of different EV penetration ratios on DT aging for an apartment complex in the Republic of Korea is studied. Results for an EV penetration ratio of up to 30% indicated that DT aging could be accelerated by up to 40%, compared to the case without EV charging. To mitigate this accelerated DT aging caused by EV charging, the effectiveness of two integration approaches of Photovoltaic (PV) sources was studied. Based on a case study that included a realistic PV generation profile, it was demonstrated that a significant contribution to DT reliability could be achieved via the operation of PV sources. A more apparent contribution of PV integration was observed with an energy storage installation at higher EV penetration ratios. At an EV penetration ratio of 30%, a maximum decrease of 41.8% in the loss-of-life probability of the DT was achieved. The effects of different PV integration approaches and power management details on DT aging were also studied. The results demonstrate that the EV charging demand could introduce a significant level of stress to DTs and that this impact can be effectively mitigated by installing PV sources. These observations are expected to contribute toward the effective planning of power system infrastructures that support the design of sustainable cities with the widespread use of EVs.

The aim of this study was performed to evaluate the effects of ice-binding protein from the arctic yeast Leucosporidium (LeIBP) supplementation on cryopreservation of boar sperm. The collected semen was diluted (1.5×108/ml) in lactose egg yolk (LEY) and cooled at 5°C for 3 h. The cooled semen was then diluted (1×108/ml) in LeIBP containing LEY with 9% glycerol and maintained at 5°C for 30 min. The semen was divided into six experimental groups (control, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP). The straws were kept on above the liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapors for 20 minutes and then plunged into LN2. After thawing, computer-assisted sperm analysis was used for sperm motility and flow cytometry was performed to assess the viability, acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA/PI), ROS (DCF/PI), lipid peroxidation (BODIPY C11/PI) and apoptosis (Annexin V/PI), respectively. No significant responses were observed for sperm motility. However, sperm viability was significantly increased on 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP groups compared to control (P < 0.05). In addition, acrosome integrity was significantly increases LeIBP groups (P < 0.05) and both ROS and lipid peroxidation level were lower in all LeIBP groups than those of control (P < 0.05). On the other hand, a significant higher apoptosis rate was observed in 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP groups compared to control (P < 0.05). It can be assumed that a supplementation of LeIBP in boar sperm freezing extender is an effective method to increase the sperm qualities after cryopreservation.

Dihydrodipicolinate reductase (DHDPR) is a key enzyme in the diaminopimelate- and lysine-synthesis pathways that reduces DHDP to tetrahydrodipicolinate. Although DHDPR uses both NADPH and NADH as a cofactor, the structural basis for cofactor specificity and preference remains unclear. Here, we report that Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14 PaDHDPR has a strong preference for NADPH over NADH, as determined by isothermal titration calorimetry and enzymatic activity assays. We determined the crystal structures of PaDHDPR alone, with its competitive inhibitor (dipicolinate), and the ternary complex of the enzyme with dipicolinate and NADPH, with results showing that only the ternary complex had a fully closed conformation and suggesting that binding of both substrate and nucleotide cofactor is required for enzymatic activity. Moreover, NADPH binding induced local conformational changes in the N-terminal long loop (residues 34–59) of PaDHDPR, as the His35 and Lys36 residues in this loop interacted with the 2′-phosphate group of NADPH, possibly accounting for the strong preference of PaDHDPR for NADPH. Mutation of these residues revealed reduced NADPH binding and enzymatic activity, confirming their importance in NADPH binding. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of action and cofactor selectivity of this important bacterial enzyme.

In this paper, we propose a goodness factor that shows how the output density of a Spoke-type permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is improved than that of the conventional surface permanent-magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM). The application of the goodness factor, which is defined as the ratio of the total flux between different motor configurations, enables a comparison of the total flux between the SPMSM and spoke-type PMSM. A performance comparison analysis between the two motor configurations with the same rotor diameter, air gap length, stack length, permanent-magnet usage, and materials was performed using the proposed goodness factor. In order to improve the performance prediction accuracy, furthermore, the effect of both the bridge leakage and the axial leakage was included during the analysis process of the spoke-type PMSM. Finally, in order to verify the proposed method, SPMSM and Spoke-type PMSM with the same outer diameter size and permanent-magnet usage were fabricated and evaluated.

철도 차량 구동용 전동기는 고토크, 고출력, 전 운전 범위의 고효율화 등의 운전 특성을 만족시키기 위해 기존의 유도기에서 매입형 영구자석 전동기로 많이 대체되고 있는 추세이나, 마그네틱 토크뿐 아니라 릴럭턴스 토크까지 사용하며 파라미터의 비선형적 특성 등으로 인해 설계에 많은 어려움이 있다. 본 논문에서는 최대 출력 제어의 두가지 방식인 전류당 최대 토크 제어와 약자속 제어를 기초 설계 과정에서 고려할 수 있는 프로세스를 제안하였다. 또한 120㎾급 구동용 전동기에 제안한 프로세스를 적용하여 타당성을 검증하였다.

A method is presented to determine the detailed design of a 150 kW-class interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor. The basic designs of stator and rotor were determined, after dividing the designed models into the best and worst cases on the basis of the rotor-shaped parameters. First, the three-bridge basic model satisfying the structural (mechanical) safety factor of the rotor is proposed. The three-bridge basic model does not meet the required torque at rated and maximum speed compared to the no-bridge model. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the design analysis through the selection of various design parameters. However, it is hard and takes alot of time to perform an analysis with numerous shape parameters. Therefore, design parameters with the greatest effect on torque and induced voltage are found using the sensitivity analysis. And the 3-D voltage–inductance map parameters were analyzed. Then, the design of the final model was predicted. On the basis of this prediction, the final model was extracted with a trend analysis. Finally, the final model was validated with experiments.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for treatment of focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder with electrode relocation and ablation time reduction. Materials and Methods Thirty-nine patients who underwent RF ablation for focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder (≤ 10 mm) were evaluated retrospectively from January 2011 to December 2014 (30 men and 9 women; age range, 51–85 y; mean age, 65 y). Of 36 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 3 had a second treatment for recurrence (mean tumor size, 15 mm ± 6). Patients were divided into 2 subgroups based on lesion distance from the gallbladder: nonabutting (> 5 mm; n = 19) and abutting (≤ 5 mm; n = 20). Electrodes were inserted parallel to the gallbladder through the center of a tumor in the nonabutting group and through the center of the expected ablation zone between a 5-mm safety zone on the liver side and the gallbladder in the abutting group. Ablation time was decreased in proportion to the transverse diameter of the expected ablation zone. Results Technical success and technical effectiveness rates were 89.7% and 97.4%, respectively, with no significant differences between groups ( P = 1.00). Local tumor progression was observed in 3 patients (1 in the nonabutting group and 2 in the abutting group; P = 1.00). There were no major complications. The gallbladder was thickened in 10 patients, with no significant difference between groups ( P = .72). Biloma occurred in 1 patient in the nonabutting group. Conclusions RF ablation with electrode relocation and reduction of ablation time can be a safe and effective treatment for focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder.

The main aim of the current research was to study the effect of porphyra-334, one of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), well known as UV-absorbing compounds, on UVinduced apoptosis in human immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Due to their UV-screening capacity and ability to prevent UV-induced DNA damage, MAAs have recently attracted considerable attention in both industry and research in pharmacology. Herein, human HaCaT cells were used to determine the biological activities of porphyra- 334 by various in vitro assays, including proliferation, apoptosis and Western blot assays. The proliferation rate of UV-irradiated HaCaT cells was significantly decreased compared to the control group. Pretreatment with porphyra- 334 markedly attenuated the inhibitory effect of UV and induced a dramatic decrease in the apoptotic rate. Expression of active caspase-3 protein was increased in response to UV irradiation, while caspase-3 levels were similar between cells treated with porphyra-334 and the non-irradiated control group. Taken together, our data suggest that porphyra-334 inhibits UV-induced apoptosis in HaCaT cells through attenuation of the caspase pathway.

The accurate estimation of the performance change according to variations in stack length of motors is important in related industries. A permanent magnet (PM) motor usually represents a characteristic in which its back electromotive force (EMF) constant (K e ) is linearly proportional to stack length. It is an enormous advantage in designing and estimating the performance of PM motors. However, the linearity cannot be held in spoke-type ferrite magnet synchronous motors (SFMSM) due to the axial leakage magnetic flux that is irrelevant to the stack length. Thus, it is possible to accurately analyze the performance of SFMSM using a 3-D finite-element analysis (FEA) method but this method is very inefficient. In this paper, a new relationship formula that can consider the nonlinearity between stack length and back EMF constant in SFMSM is proposed. This formula can estimate the back EMF constant in a new stack length based on the results of 2-D-FEA and 3-D-FEA in a specific stack length. Finally, the validity of this formula is verified through analyzing its accuracy and testing it according to changes in motor parameters.

Cancer is the principal cause of human death and occurs through highly complex processes that involve the multiple coordinated mechanisms of tumorigenesis. A number of studies have indicated that the microalgae extracts showed anticancer activity in a variety of human cancer cells and can provide a new insight in the development of novel anti-cancer therapy. Here, in order to investigate molecular mechanisms of anticancer activity in the Antarctic freshwater microalga, Chloromonas sp., we prepared ethanol extract of Chloromonas sp. (ETCH) and performed several in vitro assays using human normal keratinocyte (HaCaT) and different types of cancer cells including cervical, melanoma, and breast cancer cells (HeLa, A375 and Hs578T, respectively). We revealed that ETCH had the antioxidant capacity, and caused significant cell growth inhibition and apoptosis of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it showed no anti-proliferation to normal cells. In addition, ETCH had a significant inhibitory effect on cell invasion without the cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, ETCH-induced apoptosis was mediated by increase in pro-apoptotic proteins including cleaved caspase-3 and p53, and by decrease in anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 in ETCH-treated cancer cells. Taken together, this work firstly explored the antioxidant and anticancer activities of an Antarctic freshwater microalga, and ETCH could be a potential therapeutic candidate in the treatment of human cancer.

The two-component phosphorelay system is the most prevalent mechanism for sensing and transducing environmental signals in bacteria. Spore formation, which relies on the two-component phosphorelay system, enables the long-term survival of the glacial bacterium Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14 in the extreme cold environment. Spo0A is a key response regulator of the phosphorelay system in the early stage of spore formation. The protein is composed of a regulatory N-terminal phospho-receiver domain and a DNA-binding C-terminal activator domain. We solved the three-dimensional structure of the unphosphorylated (inactive) form of the receiver domain of Spo0A (PaSpo0A-R) from Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14. A structural comparison with phosphorylated (active form) Spo0A from Bacillus stearothermophilus (BsSpo0A) showed minor notable differences. A molecular dynamics study of a model of the active form and the crystal structures revealed significant differences in the α4 helix and the preceding loop region where phosphorylation occurs. Although an oligomerization study of PaSpo0A-R by analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) has shown that the protein is in a monomeric state in solution, both crosslinking and crystal-packing analyses indicate the possibility of weak dimer formation by a previously undocumented mechanism. Collectively, these observations provide insight into the mechanism of phosphorylation-dependent activation unique to Spo0A.

Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) facilitate organism survival under extreme conditions by inhibiting thermal hysteresis and ice recrystallization. IBPs have been widely used as cryoprotectants to cryopreserve mammalian gametes and embryos. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of an Arctic yeast, Leucosporidium sp. AY30 derived ice-binding protein (LeIBP), on the vitrification of bovine metaphase II (MII) oocytes and embryos. When oocytes and embryos were frozen using the two-step vitrification method, the survival rate was significantly increased in the presence of LeIBP. The LeIBP supplementation decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhanced mitochondrial functions in the vitrified-warmed oocytes. Furthermore, LeIBP improved the developmental potential and suppressed apoptosis of the embryos derived from vitrified-warmed oocytes. Collectively, these data indicate that LeIBP can be used as a promising cryoprotectant to prevent cryoinjury during vitrification in bovine oocytes.

In cold and harsh environments such as glaciers and sediments in ice cores, microbes can survive by forming spores. Spores are composed of a thick coat protein, which protects against external factors such as heat-shock, high salinity, and nutrient deficiency. GerE is a key transcription factor involved in spore coat protein expression in the mother cell during sporulation. GerE regulates transcription during the late sporulation stage by directly binding to the promoter of cotB gene. Here, we report the crystal structure of PaGerE at 2.09 A resolution from Paenisporosarcina sp. TG-14, which was isolated from the Taylor glacier. The PaGerE structure is composed of four α-helices and adopts a helix-turn-helix architecture with 68 amino acid residues. Based on our DNA binding analysis, the PaGerE binds to the promoter region of CotB to affect protein expression. Additionally, our structural comparison studies suggest that DNA binding by PaGerE causes a conformational change in the α4-helix region, which may strongly induce dimerization of PaGerE.

The copepod, Boeckella poppei, is broadly distributed in Antarctic and subantarctic maritime lakes threatened by climate change and anthropogenic chemicals. Unfortunately, comparatively little is known about freshwater zooplankton in lakes influenced by the Southern Ocean. In order to predict the impact of climate change and chemicals on freshwater species like B. poppei, it is necessary to understand the nature of their most resilient life stages. Embryos of B. poppei survive up to two centuries in a resilient dormant state, but no published studies evaluate the encapsulating wall that protects theses embryos or their development after dormancy. This study fills that knowledge gap by using microscopy to examine development and the encapsulating wall in B. poppei embryos from Antarctica. The encapsulating wall of B. poppei is comprised of three layers that appear to be conserved among crustacean zooplankton, but emergence and hatching are uniquely delayed until the nauplius is fully formed in this species. Diapause embryos in Antarctic sediments appear to be in a partially syncytial mid-gastrula stage. The number of nuclei quadruples between the end of diapause and hatching. Approximately 75% of yolk platelets are completely consumed during the same time period. However, some yolk platelets are left completely intact at the time of hatching. Preservation of complete yolk platelets suggests an all-or-none biochemical process for activating yolk consumption that is inactivated during dormancy to preserve yolk for post-dormancy development. The implications of these and additional ultrastructural features are discussed in the context of anthropogenic influence and the natural environment.

Summary Psychrobacter sp. PAMC 21119, isolated from Antarctic permafrost soil, grows and proliferates at subzero temperatures. However, its major mechanism of cold adaptation regulation remains poorly understood. We investigated the transcriptomic and proteomic responses of this species to cold temperatures by comparing profiles at −5°C and 20°C to understand how extreme microorganisms survive under subzero conditions. We found a total of 2,906 transcripts and 584 differentially expressed genes (≥ twofold, P

A surface permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) using ferrite magnet represents small air gaps and high stack lengths relatively. Thus, it has small edge effects on the performance of the motor, and a 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA) method is largely used to design it. In the case of the demagnetization analysis in the SPMSM, however, it is difficult to neglect fringing effects in air gaps, because the permeability of the permanent magnet is the same as air and the direction of the armature reaction is opposite to the magnetization direction. Therefore, the accuracy of the 2-D FEA is significantly degraded. In this paper, the edge effect of SPMSM on the demagnetization analysis is analyzed. For achieving it, the opposing magnetic field that contributes to the demagnetization is analyzed by two different elements, such as permanent magnet and armature reaction. In addition, a simplification model of the ${ {yz}}$ plane that can consider the edge effect is proposed to increase the accuracy of the conventional 2-D FEA, which is analyzed on the ${ {xy}}$ plane, and correction factors are also induced. Finally, its validity is verified by applying the proposed method to the conventional motors.

The gene product of dddC (Uniprot code G5CZI2), from the Gram-negative marine bacterium Oceanimonas doudoroffii, is a methylmalonate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (OdoMMSDH) enzyme. MMSDH is a member of the aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily, and it catalyzes the NAD-dependent decarboxylation of methylmalonate semialdehyde to propionyl-CoA. We determined the crystal structure of OdoMMSDH at 2.9 Å resolution. Among the twelve molecules in the asymmetric unit, six subunits complexed with NAD, which was carried along the protein purification steps. OdoMMSDH exists as a stable homodimer in solution; each subunit consists of three distinct domains: an NAD-binding domain, a catalytic domain, and an oligomerization domain. Computational modeling studies of the OdoMMSDH structure revealed key residues important for substrate recognition and tetrahedral intermediate stabilization. Two basic residues (Arg103 and Arg279) and six hydrophobic residues (Phe150, Met153, Val154, Trp157, Met281, and Phe449) were found to be important for tetrahedral intermediate binding. Modeling data also suggested that the backbone amide of Cys280 and the side chain amine of Asn149 function as the oxyanion hole during the enzymatic reaction. Our results provide useful insights into the substrate recognition site residues and catalytic mechanism of OdoMMSDH.

The rare earth output is concentrated in limited number of countries including China. Also the necessity for development of non-rare earth motor is getting signified due to the rapid increase of rare earth price and resource weaponizing policies. Non-rare earth motor is generally designed as spoke type PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) in order to maximize the power density. Such spoke type PMSM has advantage in concentrating the flux but demonstrates lower efficiency compared to permanent magnet using Nd (Neodymium) permanent magnet. Therefore, applications with strong necessity for efficiency need rotor structure having improved efficiency compared to spoke type PMSM. Hence, this study suggested fan-shape type PMSM with somewhat lower power density but maximized efficiency. Fan-shape type PMSM is a rotor shape demonstrating outstanding reduction of iron loss compared to existing spoke type. Thus, this study analyzed the improvement of efficiency and reduction of loss arising from the suggested shape through parameter calculation.

Zooplankton in Antarctic maritime lakes face challenges imposed by anthropogenic chemicals. Studies on temperate species suggest that lipophilic chemicals will accumulate in dormant embryos of Antarctic zooplankton and decrease hatching success, thereby threatening centuries of accumulated genetic diversity that would increase population resilience in the face of climate change. We evaluated the potential for lakes to act as sinks for legacy pollutants in the maritime Antarctic by testing sediments for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) previously identified in soil, flora and fauna of lake catchments. Direct tests of embryo permeability to chemicals are confounded by potential adhesion of chemicals to the embryo surface and limited biomass available. Therefore, in order to assess the potential for lipophilic chemicals to penetrate and passively accumulate in dormant embryos of Antarctic lacustrine zooplankton, we evaluated the effect of anoxia on post-diapause development in the calanoid copepod, Boeckella poppei, and then used chemical anoxia induced by rotenone as a reporter for permeability of these embryos to moderately lipophilic chemicals. The data presented demonstrate that embryos of B. poppei from Antarctic lake sediments will passively accumulate moderately lipophilic chemicals while lying dormant in anoxic sediments. Implications for legacy POPs in sediments of Antarctic maritime lakes are discussed.

A spoke type permanent magnet synchronous motor (Spoke PMSM) generates axial leakage magnetic flux due to its flux-concentrating rotor structure and therefore degrades motor performance. Although a three dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM) can be used to estimate the axial leakage magnetic flux, it requires a lot of analyzing time. In this study, a calibration coefficient is proposed to estimate the axial leakage magnetic flux using a two dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) only instead of applying 3D-FEM. This calibration coefficient is expressed by the major geometric parameters of a motor and can be calculated using the material information of the permanent magnet and the bridge of rotor core in 2D-FEM. The validity of the proposed equation is verified by 3D-FEM and tests

Antifreeze proteins (AFP) inhibit growth and recrystallization of ice, and permit organisms to survive in cold environments. The AFP from an Antarctic bacterium, Flavobacterium frigoris PS1, FfIBP (Flavobacterium frigoris icebinding protein), was produced in E. coli using a cold shock induction system. The culture temperature was shifted from 37°C to 15°C and a 20 L culture scale was used. The final weights of dried cell and FfIBP were estimated to be 126 g and 8.4 g, respectively. The thermal hysteresis (TH) activity (1.53°C) of the produced FfIBP was 3.6-fold higher than that of the LeIBP (Leucosporidium ice-binding protein) produced in Picha. The current study demonstrates that large-scale production of FfIBP was successful and the result could be extended to further application studies using recombinant AFPs.

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are involved in transporting hydrophobic fatty acids between various aqueous compartments of the cell by directly binding ligands inside their β-barrel cavities. Here, we report the crystal structures of ligand-unbound pFABP4, linoleate-bound pFABP4, and palmitate-bound pFABP5, obtained from gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), at a resolution of 2.1 A, 2.2 A, and 2.3 A, respectively. The pFABP4 and pFABP5 proteins have a canonical β-barrel structure with two short α-helices that form a cap region and fatty acid ligand binding sites in the hydrophobic cavity within the β-barrel structure. Linoleate-bound pFABP4 and palmitate-bound pFABP5 possess different ligand-binding modes and a unique ligand-binding pocket due to several sequence dissimilarities (A76/L78, T30/M32, underlining indicates pFABP4 residues) between the two proteins. Structural comparison revealed significantly different conformational changes in the β3–β4 loop region (residues 57–62) as well as the flipped Phe60 residue of pFABP5 than that in pFABP4 (the corresponding residue is Phe58). A ligand-binding study using fluorophore displacement assays shows that pFABP4 has a relatively strong affinity for linoleate as compared to pFABP5. In contrast, pFABP5 exhibits higher affinity for palmitate than that for pFABP4. In conclusion, our high-resolution structures and ligand-binding studies provide useful insights into the ligand-binding preferences of pFABPs based on key protein – ligand interactions.