Valence and Na content dependences of superconductivity in NaxCoO2.yH2O

Various samples of sodium cobalt oxyhydrate with relatively large amounts of Na$^{+}$ ions were synthesized by a modified soft-chemical process in which a NaOH aqueous solution was added in the final step of the procedure. From these samples, a superconducting phase diagram was determined for a section of a cobalt valence of $\sim$+3.48, which was compared with a previously obtained one of $\sim$+3.40. The superconductivity was significantly affected by the isovalent exchanger of Na$^{+}$ and H$_{3}$O$^{+}$, rather than by variation of Co valence, suggesting the presence of multiple kinds of Fermi surface. Furthermore, the high-field magnetic susceptibility measurements for one sample up to 30 T indicated an upper critical field much higher than the Pauli limit supporting the validity of the spin-triplet pairing mechanism.Comment: 4 figures and 1 tabl

Population dynamics of epiphytic chironomid communities in the aquatic macrophyte zones of eutrophic Lakes Suwa and Kitaura

We studied the population dynamics of epriphytic chironomid larvae in the vegetated areas of Lakes Suwa and Kitaura. We quantitatively collected chironomid larvae from samples of the 4 species of angiosperms present in the lakes: the emergent plants phragmites australis (a reed) and Zizani latifolia; the floating plant Nymphoides peltata; and the submerged plant Potamogeton malaianus. Collections were made from all 4 plant zones in Lake Suwa from April 2000 to November 2000 and from the reed zone in Lake Kitaura from April 2000 to March 2001. In both lakes the most abundant chironomid Larvae on the reed stems from late May to September were Chironominae (especially, Dicrotendipes pelochloris and Glyptotendipes tokunagai). On the leaves of submerged and floating plants in Lake Suwa, Orthocladinae larvae (especially, Cricotopus trifasciatus) dominated during the sampling period. On the reed stems in Lake Suwa, mean larval density was 0.4 ind cm⁻² and biomass of epiphytic chironomids was 12.9μgcm⁻²; these values were 23% and 22%, respectively, of those in Lake Kitaura. The differences in chironomid abundance observed in the lakes seemed to be caused by differenes in food availability (i.e., abundance of algae attached to reed stem). The average of diversity index (1/λ,λ:Simpson's index) of chironomid larvae on each plant was 2.7-3.3 on reed and Z.latifolia. 1.8 on N. Peltata and 1.8 on P. malaianus from June to August. The differnces in diversity index may be correlated with the conditions of DO concentration during this period.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 2: 111-115(2004)departmental bulletin pape

Reducing nitrogen footprints of consumer-level food loss and protein overconsumption in Japan, considering gender and age differences

The agro-food system perturbs the nitrogen (N) cycle through its N loads to the environment. The present study focused on food-related consumer-level N loads in Japan from 1961–2015, with a particular focus on food loss and protein overconsumption. Gender and age differences were also analyzed. Consumer-level food loss was negligible until the 1970s, when it began to slowly increase, accounting for an average of 13.2% of the annual net supply during 2011–2015. Japanese people have consumed more protein than the World Health Organization’s recommended intake since 1961. Protein overconsumption increased until the mid-1990s, when it began to decrease, but it still accounted for an average of 32.3% of total annual protein consumption during 2011–2015. The national mean of food N footprints (total release of reactive N into the environment related to individual food consumption) in the same period was 18.3 kg N capita ^–1 yr ^–1 , of which food loss accounted for 4% and protein overconsumption for 37%. The food N footprint of each sex/age class varied from 16.0–21.6 kg N capita ^–1 yr ^–1 , males had a larger footprint in each age class. Seven scenarios to reduce the N footprints were evaluated; a scenario that included halving protein overconsumption, livestock meat consumption, and food loss was estimated to reduce the food N footprint by 31%. Thus, there is room for reducing consumer-induced N loads to the environment. Campaigns aimed at boosting healthy and environmentally friendly diets should consider the diverse consumption patterns of different sex and age classes

Middle-aged Japanese women are resistant to obesity-related metabolic abnormalities

金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系We attempted to determine sex differences in obesity-related metabolic abnormalities in a relatively large middle-aged Japanese population. The study population consisted of 2935 men and 1622 women who were 35 to 59 years old. Metabolic abnormalities were determined using the Japanese criteria for metabolic syndrome, and we evaluated the number of metabolic abnormalities discriminated by waist circumference. In men, the mean number of metabolic abnormalities increased as the waist circumference increased. In women, although the mean number of metabolic abnormalities increased as the waist circumference increased, the mean number was less than 1 even in those with a waist circumference of at least 95 cm. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, the cutoff levels yielding the maximal sensitivity plus specificity for predicting the prevalence of one or more obesity-related metabolic abnormalities were 80 cm in men and 73 cm in women. However, the positive predictive value was as low as 28.8% in men and 7.1% in women, which may not be suitable for a screening test, especially in women. Middle-aged Japanese women seem to be resistant to obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities, and waist circumference would not effectively predict the existence of metabolic syndrome. In setting the cutoff points in guidelines, a greater emphasis should be placed on the absolute risk of having abnormalities or diseases. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Membrane microdomain switching: a regulatory mechanism of amyloid precursor protein processing

Neuronal activity has an impact on β cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by BACE1 to generate amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain to be elucidated. Cholesterol dependency of β cleavage prompted us to analyze immunoisolated APP-containing detergent-resistant membranes from rodent brains. We found syntaxin 1 as a key molecule for activity-dependent regulation of APP processing in cholesterol-dependent microdomains. In living cells, APP associates with syntaxin 1–containing microdomains through X11–Munc18, which inhibits the APP–BACE1 interaction and β cleavage via microdomain segregation. Phosphorylation of Munc18 by cdk5 causes a shift of APP to BACE1-containing microdomains. Neuronal hyperactivity, implicated in Aβ overproduction, promotes the switching of APP microdomain association as well as β cleavage in a partially cdk5-dependent manner. We propose that microdomain switching is a mechanism of cholesterol- and activity-dependent regulation of APP processing in neurons

Hydrophobic properties of laser induced periodic surface structures for ice coring drill

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OM] 極域気水圏11月16日（月）　国立極地研究所１階交流アトリウ

Copy Number Variations Due to Large Genomic Deletion in X-Linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Mutations in genes for any of the six subunits of NADPH oxidase cause chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), but almost 2/3 of CGD cases are caused by mutations in the X-linked CYBB gene, also known as NAD (P) H oxidase 2. Approximately 260 patients with CGD have been reported in Japan, of whom 92 were shown to have mutations of the CYBB gene and 16 to have chromosomal deletions. However, there has been very little detailed analysis of the range of the deletion or close understanding of the disease based on this. We therefore analyzed genomic rearrangements in X-linked CGD using array comparative genomic hybridization analysis, revealing the extent and the types of the deletion genes. The subjects were five Japanese X-linked CGD patients estimated to have large base deletions of 1 kb or more in the CYBB gene (four male patients, one female patient) and the mothers of four of those patients. The five Japanese patients were found to range from a patient exhibiting deletions only of the CYBB gene to a female patient exhibiting an extensive DNA deletion and the DMD and CGD phenotype manifested. Of the other three patients, two exhibited CYBB, XK, and DYNLT3 gene deletions. The remaining patient exhibited both a deletion encompassing DNA subsequent to the CYBB region following intron 2 and the DYNLT3 gene and a complex copy number variation involving the insertion of an inverted duplication of a region from the centromere side of DYNLT3 into the deleted region

Functional Fv fragment of an antibody specific for CD28: Fv-mediated co-stimulation of T cells

AbstractThe most predominant co-stimulation pathway, which is critical for T cell activation and proliferation, is the CD28-B7 pathway. The anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) also provides a co-stimulatory signal to T cells. In order to construct a functional Fv fragment (complex of VH and VL domains) of anti-CD28 antibody using a bacterial expression system, cDNA encoding the variable regions of immunoglobulin from 15E8 hybridoma cells was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The Fv fragment was obtained as a soluble protein from the periplasmic fraction and showed a binding pattern similar to parental IgG. The Fv fragment induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of anti-CD3 or anti-CD2 mAb and enhanced anti-tumor activity of anti-MUC1×anti-CD3 bispecific antibody when tested with lymphokine-activated killer cells with T cell phenotype. Thus, the anti-CD28 Fv fragment will be promising not only for the study of co-stimulation, but also for cancer immunotherapy