Complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum low-Mr cysteine proteinase inhibitor

AbstractThe complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum cysteine proteinase inhibitor was determined by sequencing native inhibitor and peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide degradation, Achromobacter lysylendopeptidase digestion and partial acid hydrolysis of reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein. Achromobacter peptidase digestion was successfully used to isolate two disulfide-containing peptides. The inhibitor consists of 112 amino acids with an Mr of 12787. Two disulfide bonds were established between Cys 66 and Cys 77 and between Cys 90 and Cys 110. A high degree of homology in the sequence was found between the colostrum inhibitor and human γ-trace, human salivary acidic protein and chicken egg-white cystatin

Finite element analysis of induced currents in axisymmetric multi-conductors connected in parallel to voltage sources

A method for analyzing induced currents, including both eddy currents and circulating currents, in axisymmetric multiconductors connected in parallel to voltage sources has been developed using the finite-elements method. The method has the advantage that the nonlinear analysis of induced currents in conductors connected to voltage sources with distorted waveforms (for example, an inverted-fed transformer) is possible. Because the method can take into account the voltage sources, the external impedances, and the nonlinearity of the core it becomes possible to analyze flux and current distributions under actual operating conditions and to design windings which produce the minimum power loss. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated by applying it to a transformer model</p

カイガイ ニオケル ジュギョウ カイゼン キョウイン ケンシュウ モジュール ノ サクセイ ト テンカイ : モロッコ オウコク デノ トリクミレイ

本報告では海外における授業改善の取り組みのための方策として実施したワークショップ及び教員研修モジュールの作成について報告した．ワークショップでは，授業改善のためのビデオ視聴後，模擬授業の中で実験を体験し，指導案及びワークシートを作成した．また，実施可能な授業改善のための研修モジュールを作成し，実施に向けての提案を行った

Phosphoinositide-AP-2 interactions required for targeting to plasma membrane clathrin-coated pits.

The clathrin-associated AP-2 adaptor protein is a major polyphosphoinositide-binding protein in mammalian cells. A high affinity binding site has previously been localized to the NH(2)-terminal region of the AP-2 alpha subunit (Gaidarov et al. 1996. J. Biol. Chem. 271:20922-20929). Here we used deletion and site- directed mutagenesis to determine that alpha residues 21-80 comprise a discrete folding and inositide-binding domain. Further, positively charged residues located within this region are involved in binding, with a lysine triad at positions 55-57 particularly critical. Mutant peptides and protein in which these residues were changed to glutamine retained wild-type structural and functional characteristics by several criteria including circular dichroism spectra, resistance to limited proteolysis, and clathrin binding activity. When expressed in intact cells, mutated alpha subunit showed defective localization to clathrin-coated pits; at high expression levels, the appearance of endogenous AP-2 in coated pits was also blocked consistent with a dominant-negative phenotype. These results, together with recent work indicating that phosphoinositides are also critical to ligand-dependent recruitment of arrestin-receptor complexes to coated pits (Gaidarov et al. 1999. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J. 18:871-881), suggest that phosphoinositides play a critical and general role in adaptor incorporation into plasma membrane clathrin-coated pits

Analysis of Achievement on Biology Test in Lao People\u27s Democratic Republic

We studied the 9th grade science achievements, focusing on Biology, of Lao students in Vientiane capital, Lao People\u27s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR, or Laos). Our survey-using selected questions on Biology from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011-was conducted in February 2015 on a total of 388 9th grade students from 3 lower secondary schools (3 districts in Vientiane capital). We analyzed the average correctness of Lao students, and compared them with Japanese and average of all OECD countries. We found that a school with less ideal educational condition in the Outskirts Zone of the Vientiane Capital scored lower points comparing to the Urban schools. Also, it seems that science education in Laos focuses more on Reasoning skills than Knowledge or Application skills

Necdin Controls Proliferation of White Adipocyte Progenitor Cells

White adipose tissues are composed mainly of white fat cells (adipocytes), which play a key role in energy storage and metabolism. White adipocytes are terminally differentiated postmitotic cells and arise from their progenitor cells (preadipocytes) or mesenchymal stem cells residing in white adipose tissues. Thus, white adipocyte number is most likely controlled by the rate of preadipocyte proliferation, which may contribute to the etiology of obesity. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate preadipocyte proliferation during adipose tissue development. Necdin, which is expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons, is a pleiotropic protein that possesses anti-mitotic and pro-survival activities. Here we show that necdin functions as an intrinsic regulator of white preadipocyte proliferation in developing adipose tissues. Necdin is expressed in early preadipocytes or mesenchymal stem cells residing in the stromal compartment of white adipose tissues in juvenile mice. Lentivirus-mediated knockdown of endogenous necdin expression in vivo in adipose tissues markedly increases fat mass in juvenile mice fed a high-fat diet until adulthood. Furthermore, necdin-null mutant mice exhibit a greater expansion of adipose tissues due to adipocyte hyperplasia than wild-type mice when fed the high-fat diet during the juvenile and adult periods. Adipose stromal-vascular cells prepared from necdin-null mice differentiate in vitro into a significantly larger number of adipocytes in response to adipogenic inducers than those from wild-type mice. These results suggest that necdin prevents excessive preadipocyte proliferation induced by adipogenic stimulation to control white adipocyte number during adipose tissue development