Photoreactions of retinochrome at very low temperatures

AbstractRetinochrome is one of the retinal proteins found in the retina of cephalopods. It catalyses the light isomerization of retinal from the all-trans to the 11-cis form. On cooling to 25 K, the absorption peak of retinochrome (λmax 490 nm) was broadened with a shoulder, showing the spectrum steepened on the long wavelength side. On irradiation with yellow-green light (550 nm), retinochrome produced an intermediate with λmax at a shorter wavelength, around 465 nm, and a lower extinction coefficient than lumiretinochrome. It changed to lunuretinochrome (λmax 475 nm) in the dark on warming to liquid nitrogen temperature. We shall call this new intermediate prelunuretinochrome

A liquid-helium cooled large-area silicon PIN photodiode x-ray detector

An x-ray detector using a liquid-helium cooled large-area silicon PIN photodiode has been developed along with a tailor-made charge sensitive preamplifier whose first-stage JFET has been cooled. The operating temperature of the JFET has been varied separately and optimized. The x- and $\gamma$-ray energy spectra for an \nuc{241}{Am} source have been measured with the photodiode operated at 13 K. An energy resolution of 1.60 keV (FWHM) has been obtained for 60-keV $\gamma$ rays and 1.30 keV (FWHM) for the pulser. The energy threshold could be set as low as 3 keV. It has been shown that a silicon PIN photodiode serves as a low-cost excellent x-ray detector which covers large area at 13 K.Comment: 6 pages, and 3 figures, Elsevier macros elsart.sty and elsart12.sty are neede

Studies on the Electrolysis of Sodium Sulfate Solution

Presented at The Indianapolis Meeting of The Electrochemical Society, May 3, 1961.The electrolysis of sodium sulfate solution by the 1500 amp. vertical mercury cell was investigated. Lead alloy containing 2% Ag and 1% Te was selected as the anode, and fine porous rubber sheet or blue asbestos cloth were used as the diaphragm. The concentrations of sulfuric acid and caustic soda obtained were 200-250 g/l H₂SO₄ and 30-40% NaOH, respectively, under the condition of 30 amp/dm² of current density by continuous operation. The terminal voltage was less than 5.0 volts and the current efficiency and the consumption of the anode were 90% and 2-3 mg/AH, respectively

Atmospheric sea-salt and halogen chemistry in the Antarctic region

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Thu. 5 Dec. / 2F Auditorium , National Institute of Polar Researc

New Surgical Procedure for Pancreas Head

In this study, we demonstrate two new methods for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). One method is the mini‐laparotomic PD by Shuriken‐shaped umbilicoplasty with the real‐time moving window‘s method. The other method is the new pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) by punctured stent slide guiding method (PSSGM). This procedure could be performed by complete mini‐laparotomy under direct vision, and the final major wound is only 2 cm of round navel. PSSGM prevents the difference of caliber between pancreatic anastomosis and the inside out of jejunal mucosa in theory. Ten cases of mini‐lap PD were successfully performed under new PJ anastomosis. The pancreatic leakage (PL) was only one case of ISGPF grade A, and its frequency was 9% (1/11). Our mini‐lap PD by Shuriken‐shaped umbilicoplasty might be a useful way for overcoming the obstacles about safety, complication risk, cosmetic demand, and medical cost compared to laparoscopic PD. Also, our new device of PJ reconstruction by PSSGM might be an easy and useful device for the prevention of PL

Effectiveness of Influenza vaccines in reducing risk of acute febrile illness among community-dwelling elderly, 2006-07 seasons : Population-based cohort study in Japan

Background: Annual vaccinations are recommended for groups with high-risk medical conditions, as well as the residents of nursing homes. In general, little is known about the vaccine effectiveness of vaccines for Influenza-like illness (ILI) in community-dwelling elderly. Methods: A population based cohort study was conducted during the 2006-2007 (06/07) influenza season to examine the effectiveness of an influenza vaccine among community-dwelling elderly. We selected 1,000 elderly citizens ranging from 65 to 74 years old randomly from a population registry of Sapporo in September 2006. Baseline survey for them was conducted in October or November 2006, and 542 (54.2%) subjects responded with an informed consent. We excluded one person because he passed away before the follow-up survey. Thus, we analyzed 541 subjects. We followed-up the participants concerning acute febrile illnesses, hospitalizations, and so on every prior month from December 2006 to April 2007 though telephone interviews. The Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare vaccinated group to non-vaccinated group, and Cox’s hazard model was conducted to control for potential confounding factors. Results: After adjusting for confounders, the vaccination decreased acute fevers higher than or equal to 37.5°C (Hazard ratio (HR) =0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(0.20, 0.90)) from December 2006 to March 2007, but was not associated with the risk of ILI (HR=1.25, 95%CI=(0.29, 5.37)). Conclusion: An influenza vaccination may decrease an acute fever during an influenza epidemic season in community-dwelling elderly

L-Ascorbate Biosynthesis Involves Carbon Skeleton Rearrangement in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Ascorbate (AsA) is required as a cofactor and is widely distributed in plants and animals. Recently, it has been suggested that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also synthesizes AsA. However, its biosynthetic pathway is still unknown. To further understand AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, we analyzed the incorporation of the 13C atom into AsA using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in worms fed with D-Glc (1-13C)-labeled Escherichia coli. GC-MS analysis revealed that AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, similarly to that in mammalian systems, involves carbon skeleton rearrangement. The addition of L-gulono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the mammalian pathway, significantly increased AsA level in C. elegans, whereas the addition of L-galactono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the plant and Euglena pathway, did not affect AsA level. The suppression of E03H4.3 (an ortholog of gluconolactonase) or the deficiency of F54D5.12 (an ortholog of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase) significantly decreased AsA level in C. elegans. Although N2- and AsA-deficient F54D5.12 knockout mutant worm (tm6671) morphologies and the ratio of collagen to non-collagen protein did not show any significant differences, the mutant worms exhibited increased malondialdehyde levels and reduced lifespan compared with the N2 worms. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the AsA biosynthetic pathway is similar in C. elegans and mammals

Energy harvesting using a magnetostrictive transducer based on switching control

In this work, a switching control energy harvesting method using magnetostrictive materials is proposed. By combining a magnetostrictive material, an electric circuit, and an electronic switch, large-scale kinetic to electrical energy conversion can be achieved. The magnetostrictive material, magnet bias, and coils constitute an energy transducer, called a magnetostrictive transducer. The electronic switch strategically controls the switching of the circuit state according to an input switching signal. Using numerical simulations, we optimised the parameters and validated the harvesting performance with experimental measurements using a 3.75 m vibrated cantilever truss structure. In 20.0 s, the proposed method achieved an electrical energy of approximately 45 μJ, which is seven times more than that of the conventional passive method