Topological isomers of human uroguanylin: interconversion between biologically active and inactive isomers

AbstractThe solution structures of the two compounds of human uroguanylin (I and II), which were generated during disulfide bond forming reaction, were found to be topological isomers by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These isomers are interconvertible in aqueous media at rates which vary with the pH and temperature of the solution. Because compound I is active in the cGMP producing assay, but compound II is not, this interconversion may be useful for evaluating the activity of human uroguanylin both in vivo and in vitro

Decision support for preliminary release of reservoir for flood control using ECMWF medium-range ensemble rainfall forecast

A method for integrated reservoir operation is developed by considering medium-range ensemble rainfall forecast provided by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to enhance reservoir’s flood storage capability while maintaining its function for water use. Preliminary release operation, in which storage water for water use is released just before a flood occurs, is considered here. The desired timing and amount of preliminary release are estimated from ensemble prediction, maximizing the flood control capacity while securing storage recovery after the flood event. The case study with Shin-Nariwagawa Reservoir in the Takahashi River basin, Japan, demonstrated the effectiveness of introducing long-range ensemble prediction in decision making for preliminary release

Development of effective pre-release method for dams during super typhoons using long-term ensemble rainfall forecasts

Against the background of increasing frequency of heavy rainfall due to climate change, an analytical approach to maximize the effective use of the reservoir from both flood control and water utilization was conducted. Simulations by applying statistical down-scaling method to the long-term ensemble rainfall forecast by ECMWF on a dam basin where a large inflow occurred during the Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 were shown. The results show that it is possible to use long-term ensemble rainfall forecasts to gain a temporal, stochastic understanding of total rainfall, required flood storage volumes, and recoverable reserves. Based on this understanding, a calculation method for setting release rates that correspond to effective pre-release start times and changes in rainfall forecasts in order to minimize both flood control and water service risks was proposed

Two-Dimensional Superconductivity Emerged at Monatomic Bi^2– Square Net in Layered Y₂O₂Bi via Oxygen Incorporation

Discovery of layered superconductors such as cuprates and iron-based compounds has unveiled new science and compounds. In these superconductors, quasi-two-dimensional layers including transition metal cations play principal role in the superconductivity via carrier doping by means of aliovalent-ion substitution. Here, we report on a two-dimensional superconductivity at 2 K in ThCr₂Si₂-type layered oxide Y₂O₂Bi possessing conducting monatomic Bi^2– square net, possibly associated with an exotic superconductivity. The superconductivity emerges only in excessively oxygen-incorporated Y₂O₂Bi with expanded inter-net distance, in stark contrast to nonsuperconducting pristine Y₂O₂Bi reported previously. This result suggests that the element incorporation into hidden interstitial site could be an alternative approach to conventional substitution and intercalation methods for search of novel superconductors