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In photosystem II (PSII), the secondary plastoquinone electron acceptor Q

Severe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have a high incidence of thrombotic complications and mortality. The pathophysiology of coagulopathy involves fibrinolytic system impairment and vascular endothelial damage. This study examined coagulation and fibrinolytic markers as outcome predictors. In an observational study of 164 COVID-19 patients admitted to our emergency intensive care unit, hematological parameters on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 were retrospectively compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. Nonsurvivors had a higher APACHE II score, SOFA score, and age than survivors. Nonsurvivors also had a significantly lower platelet count and significantly higher plasmin/α2plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC), tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 complex (tPAPAI-1C), D-dimer, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) levels than survivors throughout the measurement period. The 7-day maximum or minimum values of the tPAPAI-1C, FDP, and D-dimer levels were significantly higher in nonsurvivors. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the maximum tPAPAI-1C (OR = 1.034; 95% CI,1.014–1.061; p = 0.0041) was an independent factor affecting mortality, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.713 (optimum cut-off of 51 ng/mL; sensitivity, 69.2%; and specificity, 68.4%). COVID-19 patients with poor outcomes exhibit exacerbated coagulopathy with fibrinolysis inhibition and endothelial damage. Consequently, plasma tPAPAI-1C might be a useful predictor of the prognosis in patients with severe or critical COVID-19.

After the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, intercultural friction and aversion arose between evacuees and host community residents in relocation areas. We examined whether a belief in group interdependence—the extent to which an individual believes that group function is realized through interdependence with related other groups—is consistent with positive interactions between evacuees and hosts. A door‐to‐door survey of 77 evacuees and 75 hosts revealed that residents with an integrated social identity interacted favorably with both ingroup and outgroup members, and that a belief in group interdependence was consistent with the integration of social identity between the evacuee and host communities. Those findings suggest that a belief in group interdependence can reduce intercultural conflict by allowing both immigrants and host residents to acquire an integrated social identity without the dilemma of internalizing different cultures into an individual's mind.

Aim There are few reports on the prognostic factors associated with mortality in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with critical disease. This study assessed prognostic factors associated with mortality of patients with critical COVID-19 who required ventilator management. Methods This single-center, retrospective cohort study used medical record data of COVID-19 patients admitted to an emergency ICU at a hospital in Japan between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and provided with ventilator management. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with mortality. Results Seventy patients were included, of whom 29 (41.4%) died. The patients who died were significantly older (median: 69 years) (interquartile range [IQR]: 47-82 years) than the patients who survived (62 years [38-84 years], p0.007). In addition, patients who died were significantly less likely to have received steroid therapy than patients who survived (25 [86.2%] vs. 41 [100%], p=0.026). In the multivariable analysis, age was identified as a significant prognostic factor for mortality and the risk of death increased by 6% for every one-year increase in age (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00-1.13; p=0.048). Medical history was not a risk factor for death. Conclusion Age was a predictor of mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the indications for critical care in older patients with COVID-19 should be carefully considered.

After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, the Fukushima Health Management Survey was conducted to assess children’s lifestyle and mental health conditions. The participants in this study were 1126 children, aged 0 to 3 years, living in the evacuation zone at the time of the disaster. The parenting confidence of their mothers was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire as a baseline in 2013. We examined the association of parenting confidence level at baseline, using a total difficulty score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and reluctance to attend school among children in a follow-up study in 2016 and 2017. As a result, no confidence was reported by 178 (15.8%) mothers, while 477 (42.4%) responded with “not sure” and 471 (41.8%) were confident. In the multiple logistic analysis, after adjusting for covariates such as the child’s sex, age, and current health condition, the group lacking parenting confidence demonstrated a significantly higher risk level for SDQ total difficulties (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.59–4.93) and reluctance to attend school (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.24–3.18) than the confident mothers. After a major disaster, which can have long-term effects on communities, intensive psychological care for mothers with young children is needed to prevent various mental health problems in their children.

This work experimentally investigated flow characteristics and mixing properties of the two-phase flow in a continuous Taylor-Couette flow reactor (CTCR) with narrow gap width. In the device with a gap width of 0.5mm, to the authors’ knowledge, the narrowest gap width device ever studied in CTCR systems, the present study revealed that slug flows with alternating gas and liquid phases, as observed in microchannels, appeared in a certain flow regime. This slug flow appeared mainly in the region of low rotational Reynolds and axial Weber numbers. The non-dimensional effective diffusion coefficient Deff/uL [-] of slug flow was also measured by a tracer response method. Deff/uL in the slug flow was on the order of 10⁻⁶ and it has been successfully found that ideal plug flow mixing characteristics could be achieved under this flow condition. Since the intensified and controllable mixing in the liquid phase due to Taylor vortex motion induced by the inner cylinder rotation is expected to be much better than the mixing in the liquid phase of slug flows in microchannels, this flow is expected to be one of the process intensification techniques that will outperform the performance of the conventional microreactors with microchannels.

Introduction This study aimed to determine if tocilizumab treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases bacteremia and suppresses fever and inflammatory reactants. Methods In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, all patients with COVID-19 admitted to our emergency intensive care unit from March 2020 to August 2021 were categorized into tocilizumab-treated and tocilizumab-naïve groups, and the incidence of bacteremia and other factors between the two groups were compared. Patients with bacteremia were further classified into tocilizumab-treated and tocilizumab-naïve groups to determine if fever and inflammatory reactants were suppressed. Results Overall, 144 patients were included in the study, 51 of whom received tocilizumab, which was administered on the day of admission. Further, of the 24 (16.7%) patients with bacteremia, 13 were in the tocilizumab-treated group. Results revealed a significant difference in the C-reactive protein level (p

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Japanese workers psychological distress through crises of health, economics, and social relationships. To assess whether these effects are amplified by the gender bias that exists in Japan, we examined male and female worker’s psychological distress and difficulties during the pandemic. An online “COVID-19-related difficulties” questionnaire, based on item response theory, gathered responses from 3464 workers in October and November 2020. The workers’ psychological distress was found concerned to be significantly worse than before the pandemic. Basic stressors related to infection anxiety, economic anxiety, and restrictions on social interactions and outings. Men’s and women’s experiences of difficulties were consistent with traditional gender roles in Japan: men were more likely to face job-related stressors, such as economic insecurity and work-style changes, women were more likely to face non-job-related stressors, such as increased living costs and reduced social interactions. Policymakers and employers should consider the association between gender differences and industry types, and implement measures to strengthen the acceptability of mental health care.

Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and relevant preventive measures can affect the economic status and mental health of the public, their effect remains unraveled owing to a limited number of surveys conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the association of COVID-19 and relevant measures with multivariate outcomes among people affected by the Fukushima disaster in 2011 using the difference-in-differences (DID) method. We then analyzed the associations between sociodemographic factors and outcomes. We assessed psychological distress, problem drinking, insomnia state, unemployment, household economic decline, and interpersonal problems using three questionnaire surveys administered in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Participants were grouped according to three time periods by dates of voluntary stay-at-home requests (February 26) and the declaration of emergency (April 16) in Japan. The years 2020 and 2019 were regarded as the treatment group and control group, respectively, after confirming that no DIDs were found between 2018 and 2019. We performed regression analyses to identify the risk factors for outcomes. The DIDs were significant for household economic decline after the declaration of emergency, whereas problem drinking significantly improved. No significant DIDs were observed for other mental health outcomes including psychological distress and insomnia state. Absence of counselors was positively and significantly associated with all outcomes in 2020. Overall, people affected by the Fukushima disaster experienced more economic damage after the declaration of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic but their mental health status did not reduce. Identifying people who have no counselors and providing them with support are emergent requirements to prevent a subsequent mental health decline., Highlights • The economic status and mental health were evaluated after coronavirus disease 2019. • We assess the effect in Fukushima residents by the difference-in-differences method. • The economic status worsened after governmental restrictions of social activities. • The mental health status was maintained after implementing public measures. • Lack of counselors was a risk factor for a worsening economy and poor mental health.

Purpose of review: A high prevalence of clinically significant mental health problems was found in children affected by the Fukushima disaster in Japan. We reviewed the literature on child mental health to examine how disasters impacted children in Fukushima. Recent findings: Children's environments, such as family and peer systems, were disrupted by radiation concerns and evacuation. As children struggled with less resources at home and school, they also had to deal with discrimination. Various interventions were implemented, ranging from government financial assistance to several mental health services provided by local care resources to families and children. In addition to organizing such interventions discretely in each microsystem, a collaborative approach involving various intervening entities across multiple levels was deemed necessary for providing comprehensive support to the affected children and their families. To promote the healthy psychological development of children, it is necessary to provide multidimensional support for their families, particularly parents, through multidisciplinary collaboration between professionals involved in child and family care.

After the Fukushima disaster, healthcare professionals were expected to function as risk communicators to the public. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there were associations between a set of risk communication competencies and having attended any of the on-site workshops that were conducted over eight years since the Fukushima disaster as part of an in-service training program for Fukushima's public health nurses (PHNs). A survey was conducted by mail from August 20 to October 8, 2019, involving 754 PHNs in Fukushima Prefecture using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The survey's valid response rate was 81.3% (613 responses). Respondents were asked to rate themselves on seven risk communication competencies (increasing residents' health knowledge, tailoring communication to residents' satisfaction, responding to residents' concerns, alleviating residents' distress, building trust, supporting health-related behavioral change, and supporting health-related self-efficacy) and on two items related to change in professional perspective after the Fukushima disaster (acquisition of specialized knowledge and skills and heightened professional awareness). Participation in a health literacy workshop significantly predicted four of the risk communication competencies, namely, responding to residents' concerns (OR = 1.49 (95% CI: 1.01–2.21)), alleviating residents' distress (1.65 (1.12–2.44)), building trust (1.90 (1.27–2.83)), supporting health-related self-efficacy (1.50 (1.02–2.20)), and the two changes in professional perspective, acquisition of specialized knowledge and skills (1.74 (1.15–2.62)) and heightened professional awareness (1.62 (1.09–2.43)). The study suggested that the health literacy on-site workshops had multifaceted effects in enhancing the risk communication competencies of healthcare professionals since the Fukushima disaster.

To prospectively evaluate morphological changes in the horizontal and vertical dimensions of peri-implant tissue at 1-year post-prosthesis implantation.Thirty-four patients who had received implants with conical connections in the aesthetic region were included in the follow-up study. Patients had received either traditional delayed implant placement or tissue augmentation with or without immediate implant placement. The horizontal and vertical dimensions of the buccal alveolar bone of the implant and its surrounding soft tissues were then evaluated using cone beam computed tomography.Implants placed alongside tissue augmentation, with or without immediate placement, were as successful as those placed into sites with traditional delayed implant placement. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed between initial horizontal bone thickness and changes in vertical bone height (r=0.585, p0.05) and vertical soft tissue height (r=0.378, p0.05), and between initial horizontal soft tissue thickness and the change in vertical soft tissue height (r=0.627, p0.05).Regardless of the bone and soft tissue augmentation approach, implants with conical connections may effectively preserve peri-implant tissues. However, the thickness of the peri-implant soft tissue is essential, because a change in soft tissue margin level tends to be affected by the thickness of the peri-implant soft tissue rather than the bone width.

BACKGROUND In the treatment of anterior implants, few studies have quantitatively evaluated the effects of connective tissue grafts on labial bone resorption and soft tissue recession. PURPOSE To evaluate the influence of connective tissue grafting (CTG) on the peri-implant tissue morphology by quantitatively measuring change over time the tissue surrounding the implant in the anterior esthetic zone. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-six patients who received implants with platform shifting in the anterior esthetic region were included in this follow-up study. Patients were classified as those who received CTG [CTG (+) group] and those who did not [CTG (-) group]. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the buccal alveolar bone of the implant and its surrounding soft tissues were evaluated using cone-beam computed tomography. RESULTS At 1 year after connection of the superstructure, labial soft tissue recession was on average 0.64 mm in the CTG (-) group and 0.09 mm in the CTG (+) group, and this difference was significant (P

The stabilization of coesite is a diagnostic indicator of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism and in many cases it implies that a rock has been subducted to a minimum depth of 80 km. Coesite typically occurs as rare relicts in rigid host minerals, but most commonly transforms into α-quartz pseudomorphs during exhumation. The abundance of coesite-bearing rocks in orogens worldwide is a contentious issue in the petrological community, despite evidence from numerical modeling that suggests that coesite formation should be a common geological process during ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. This knowledge gap must be addressed to improve the understanding of the geological aspects of subduction-zone geodynamics. Here we report that minuscule coesites (

Changes in mastitis-causing pathogens, pH and water content in composted manure solids (CMS) prepared from digested slurry were evaluated during turning at 2-day intervals for 8 days (C1-C4). The numbers of streptococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci and coliforms were 2.6 × 101 , 1.7 × 102 and 1.0 × 101 colony-forming units (cfu)/g in CMS (C4) (summer), and these counts were markedly lower (P 63°C for 8 days, pH 8.7-9.2, and water content 62% to 73%. This study demonstrates that prepared CMS has value as a recycled material with the potential to alleviate udder health issues in dairy cows.

Remediation of materials contaminated with a radioactive material such as 137Cs is important. Here, we report on the effectiveness of an aqueous sodium metasilicate prepared with a microbubble crushing process (SMC) for the removal of radioactive 137Cs from granule conglomerates and nonwoven cloth. A 137Cs removal ratio of 78% was achieved for the nonwoven cloth sample, and multiple washings at low SMC concentrations were effective. In addition, the volume of the waste solution could be reduced by neutralizing the SMC and using gelation to remove the radioactive material. The decontamination is shown to be more efficient than that with sodium hydroxide, even for washing granule conglomerates.

Here we report on the unexpected occurrence of felsic (granitic) inclusions with quench textures such as spherulite and dendrite (hereafter referred to as “felsite inclusions”), similar to some volcanic rocks, within garnet in presumably “slowly cooled” lower-crustal granulites of various geologic ages ranging from Early Proterozoic to Middle Paleozoic and wide global distribution (the Limpopo Belt, the Grenville Province, the Lutzow-Holm Complex of East Antarctica, the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka, and the southern Bohemian Massif). The well-preserved textures of felsite inclusions are indicative of melts formed by anatexis during high-pressure and high-temperature metamorphism, crystallization under far-from-equilibrium conditions (at > 50 °C undercooling) and subsequent rapid cooling. The occurrence of felsite inclusions in granulites in restricted tectonostratigraphic zones in Sri Lanka, among other examples, may be the first geologic evidence for fast exhumation of lower-crustal rocks to andalusite-stable upper-crustal conditions by channel flow in a continental collision orogen. We hypothesize that granulites ascend episodically along discrete high-strain zones and cool as fast as some felsic magmas. This conclusion sheds new light on the debate regarding the deep crustal processes and necessitates changes to fundamental beliefs about exhumation rates based on rates of plate convergence (1–10 cm/year).

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social identity on psychological distress in areas where residents had been evacuated to after the Fukushima nuclear accident. In a door-to-door survey, we surveyed 74 evacuees and 81 host community residents in a relocation area in Fukushima to evaluate whether social support mitigated evacuees’ and hosts’ distress and whether the social identity of each community affected distress. Social support mitigated distress in both evacuees and hosts. The construction and effect of social identity differed between groups: Evacuees had high original community (ingroup) identity, and their host community (outgroup) identity decreased their distress. Hosts had high host community (ingroup) identity but low evacuee community (outgroup) identity. Hosts with high ingroup identity who integrated outgroup identity had increased distress. These results suggest that management of social identity in addition to social support is important for mitigating psychological distress after the nuclear accident, and that support for individuals should be focused on management of both host and evacuee communities in relocation areas.

Numerical analysis of the concentration depletion zones in a transient state suggested that, in microgravity, protein crystals grow in a lower supersaturation and the impurity ratio decreases in the centre of the crystal., It is said that the microgravity environment positively affects the quality of protein crystal growth. The formation of a protein depletion zone and an impurity depletion zone due to the suppression of convection flow were thought to be the major reasons. In microgravity, the incorporation of molecules into a crystal largely depends on diffusive transport, so the incorporated molecules will be allocated in an orderly manner and the impurity uptake will be suppressed, resulting in highly ordered crystals. Previously, these effects were numerically studied in a steady state using a simplified model and it was determined that the combination of the diffusion coefficient of the protein molecule (D) and the kinetic constant for the protein molecule (β) could be used as an index of the extent of these depletion zones. In this report, numerical analysis of these depletion zones around a growing crystal in a non-steady (i.e. transient) state is introduced, suggesting that this model may be used for the quantitative analysis of these depletion zones in the microgravity environment.

To assess the ability of densimetry for CO2 fluid in CO2 inclusions, we compare two methods, microthermometry and Raman microspectroscopic densimetry for CO2. The comparative experiment was performed for nine CO2 inclusions in three mantle xenoliths. The results are as follows: (1) microthermometry precisely determines CO2 density with the range of 0.65 to 1.18g/cm 3 compared with Raman microspectroscopic densimetry; (2) CO2 density obtained by Raman microspectroscopic densimetry is fairly consistent with that by microthermometry; (3) it is hard to determine CO2 density in CO2 inclusion with diameter of less than around 3 mm using microthermometry; and (4) microthermometry can be applied only to the CO2 inclusion whose CO2 density ranges from around 0.65 to 1.18g/cm 3 , whereas the Raman microspectroscopic densimetry is applicable to CO2 density ranging from 0.1 to 1.24g/cm 3 . The above features carry the potential for estimation of depth origin of mantle-derived rocks. The depth where the rocks were trapped by host magma can be estimated using both geothermometric data and CO2 fluid density in CO2 inclusions in the rocks. Typical precisions of density of CO2 in CO2 inclusions obtained by the Raman microspectroscopic densimetry (~0.01g/cm 3 ) and by the microthermometry (< 0.001g/cm 3 ) correspond to uncertainties in the depth origin of 2.4km and

This study of the electrical conductivity of metamorphic rocks as a function of temperature highlights the importance of conductivity variations associated with dehydration. We observed conductivity changes for anhydrous rocks and hydrous amphibolites up to 1100 K at 0.5 GPa. Our experimental results revealed that dehydration takes place and that there is a non-linear variation above metamorphic temperatures. To evaluate the observed changes in conductivity after dehydration, numerical calculations were conducted. The calculation results showed that the bulk conductivity of rock plus pure water cannot account for the conductivity values of reacted rocks if the crust dehydrates. However, the data for 0.1 m NaCl solutions are consistent with those for amphibolites between 530 and 1100 K. In this temperature range, the estimated volume fractions of dewatered saline solutions vary between 0.04 and 0.36 vol.%. These results show that although dehydration is insignificant, and only small amounts of high-salinity fluids are formed in the crust, the total conductivity of amphibolites is high after dehydration.

Multiple equilibrium stages were identified from garnet-rich gneiss at Ktis in the Lhenice shear zone of the southern Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic. The matrix of the rock mainly comprises cordierite (Crd), sillimanite (Sil), biotite (Bt), garnet (Grt), quartz (Qtz), K-feldspar (Kfs) and plagioclase (Pl) along with accessory minerals such as spinel (Spl), apatite (Ap), monazite (Mnz) and zircon (Zrn). Bt, Sil, kyanite (Ky) and Pl occur as inclusion phases in Grt. Crd occurs only in the matrix both as isolated grains and as reaction coronas developed around Grt. Spl is closely correlated with the Crd corona. Some coarse-grained (> 3 mm) Grts show chemical heterogeneity both in major and trace elements. Grossular (Grs)-content is homogeneous and high {Xgrs = Ca / (Ca + Mg + Fe + Mn) = 0.27} in a center of the grain and smoothly decreases towards the grain margin (Xgrs = 0.02). However, pyrope (Prp)-content shows an inverse pattern against Grs-content; i.e., Prp-content is low and constant {Xprp = Mg / (Ca + Mg + Fe + Mn) = 0.03} in the center of the grain and gradually increases towards the margin (up to Xprp = 0.28). The contours of Grs- and Prp-contents show symmetrical hexagonal shapes. The distribution pattern of phosphorus, however, shows a striking contrast against Grs-content. The core of the grain is characterized by low-phosphorus content almost below the detection limit of the EPMA analysis but it is armored by the high-phosphorus rim accompanying with local development of phosphorus-poor outermost rim. The outline of phosphorus-poor core shows a hexagonal shape, which is symmetrical to those of Grs- and Prp-content contours, but it is located outside of higher-Grs (Xgrs = 0.27)- and lower-Prp (Xprp = 0.03)-content contours. These observations suggest that the outline of phosphorus-poor core should indicate the original shape of Grs-rich garnet developed during an early stage of the metamorphism. The zoning pattern of major/trace elements in garnet and the mode of occurrence of constituent minerals suggest that the studied rock experienced three equilibrium stages represented by the following mineral assemblages with excess of Bt, Pl, Qtz and Kfs: Stage 1: Grs-rich (Xgrs = 0.24–0.27) and phosphorus-poor Grt inner core + Ky + Ap + Mnz Stage 2: Grs-poor (Xgrs = ca. 0.05) and phosphorus-rich Grt rim + Ky/Sil Stage 3: Grs-poor (Xgrs = 0.02) and phosphorus-poor Grt outermost rim + Sil + Crd ± Spl + Mnz The geothermobarometry gives the following P–T conditions for each stage: 1.5–2.3 GPa at 700–900 °C for Stage 1, 730–830 °C and 1.0–1.3 GPa for Stage 2, and 740–850 °C and 0.6–0.8 GPa for Stage 3. The P–T conditions for the Stage 2 are slightly higher than the peak P–T conditions for gneisses of the Varied/Monotonous Units in the literatures and the P-conditions for the Stage 1 are similar to those of HP-granulite in the Gfohl Unit. The inferred P–T conditions of the studied rock, a model petrogenetic grid, and a pseudosection analysis suggest that the studied rock experienced the isothermal decompression at least from the Grt rim stage (Stage 2, 1.0–1.3 GPa) to the matrix stage (Stage 3, 0.6–0.8 GPa). This decompression path would overstep the following dehydration melting reactions at different depths: Ms + Qtz = Grt + Bt + Sil + Kfs + liq at 1.0–1.2 GPa and Bt + Sil + Qtz = Grt + Crd + Kfs + liq at 0.3–0.6 GPa. The high-phosphorus Grt rim should be formed through these reactions; in other words, higher-phosphorus content of Grt can be used as an indicator of partial melting of the host rock.

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin (PG) D synthase (L-PGDS) catalyzes the isomerization of PGH2 to PGD2 and is involved in the regulation of pain and of nonrapid eye movement sleep and the differentiation of male genital organs and adipocytes, etc. L-PGDS is secreted into various body fluids and binds various lipophilic compounds with high affinities, acting also as an extracellular transporter. Mouse L-PGDS with a C65A mutation was previously crystallized with citrate or malonate as a precipitant, and the X-ray crystallographic structure was determined at 2.0 Å resolution. To obtain high-quality crystals, we tried, unsuccessfully, to crystallize the C65A mutant in microgravity under the same conditions used in the previous study. After further purifying the protein and changing the precipitant to polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000, high-quality crystals were grown in microgravity. The precipitant solution was 40% (w/v) PEG 8000, 100 mM sodium chloride, and 100 mM HEPES-NaOH (pH 7.0). Crystals grew on board the International Space Station for 11 weeks in 2007, yielding single crystals of the wild-type L-PGDS and the C65A mutant, both of which diffracted at around 1.0 Å resolution. The crystal quality was markedly improved through the use of a high-viscosity precipitant solution in microgravity, in combination with the use of a highly purified protein., Crystals of wild-type mouse L-PGDS were obtained for the first time. The crystals diffracted around 1.0 Ǻ. The crystallization of homogeneous protein samples with a high-viscosity precipitant was crucial to this successful crystal growth in microgravity.

A remarkably high Li/B ratio has been recognized from a crush-leached fluid extracted from a foliation-parallel quartz vein, IR27, intercalated with a pelitic schist in the northern proximal to the Western Iratsu body of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, SW Japan. Thin section observation shows that most quartz grains in the vein are polygonal and rarely show the undulatory extinction. These facts suggest that the quartz grains in the vein could be recrystallized under relatively high-T condition with the stress free environment, and that these fluid inclusions could be trapped during the peak metamorphic stage. Most fluid inclusions in the investigated sample are composed of liquid and vapor. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the liquid phase is aqueous fluid and the vapor is mainly a mixture of CH4 and N2. Their ice melting temperatures determined by microthermometry, ranging from -3.5 to -7.1 °C, show a striking contrast against the data of the fluid inclusions in later stage veins, ranging from -0.6 to -1.7 °C. However, the homogenization temperatures of IR27 are much lower than the peak metamorphic temperature of the host pelitic schist. The partition coefficients between the host rock and released fluid (Drock/fluid) calculated from P-T pseudosection show that DBrock/fluid tends to be higher than DLirock/fluid in a pelitic system, because of generally high modes of white mica in pelitic schists. The calculation suggests that the crush-leached fluid obtained from the quartz vein intercalated with the pelitic schist has higher Li/B ratio than fluids of those intercalated with the metabasite.

著者人数: 13人, Number of authors: 13, 資料番号: PA1010009000

Optimal salt concentration in a PEG-based crystallization solution is important for successful crystal growth and can be predicted prior to performing crystallization experiments., Although polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the most widely used precipitant in protein crystallization, the concentration of co-existing salt in the solution has not been well discussed. To determine the optimum salt concentration range, several kinds of protein were crystallized in a 30% PEG 4000 solution at various NaCl concentrations with various pH levels. It was found that, if crystallization occurred, the lowest effective salt concentration depended on the pH of the protein solution and the pI of the protein molecule; that is, higher salt concentrations were required for crystal growth if the difference between pH and pI was increasing. The linear relationship between the charge density of the protein and the ionic strength of the crystallization solution was further verified. These results suggested that the lowest effective concentration of salt in a crystallization solution can be predicted before performing a crystallization experiment. Our results can be a tip for tuning crystallization conditions by the vapor-diffusion method.