A Simple Expression for the Trajectories under the Effects of Space Charge in a Quadrupole Lens

A simple method for the numerical analysis of the second order non-linear coupled differential equations, which represent the trajectories in a quadrupole lens under the effects of space charge, is shown. The resultant equations of the trajectories are expressed by the usual matrix form. The numerical results are shown for a few typical cases

Development of System of Checklist Operation among Junior-high School and Public Institution for Non-attendance at School

本研究は中学校および適応指導教室の生徒を対象としたメンタルヘルスと体験活動の充実感を測定可能なチェックリストを作成し、その運用体制に必要な議論を行うことを目的とする。現職教師ら合計10名とともにメンタルヘルスと体験活動充実感のチェックリストを作成した。2006年度に中学生の職場体験活動の評価として111名、また適応指導教室の体験活動後の振り返りとし、のべ108名分のデータを得て分析を行った。その結果、体験活動充実感・チェックリストの得点が高ければ、メンタルヘルス・チェックリストの得点が改善される傾向が中学校と適応指導教室それぞれで確認された。そのため、適応指導教室群の方が中学校群よりも難しさのある回答の得点分布を持つことが確認された。そのため、適応指導教室群の得点分布を参考に不登校等のリスクが高まると考えられるチェックリストの危険域の存在が示唆されるとともに、メンタルヘルスだけでなく適応指導教室の一部通所者の軽度発達障害へのフォローと、今後教育現場にとって経済的・労力的にコストが低く利用できるチェックリストの運用方法を議論した

Establishment of sandwich ELISA for soluble alpha-Klotho measurement: Age-dependent change of soluble alpha-Klotho levels in healthy subjects

Background α-Klotho (αKl) regulates mineral metabolism such as calcium ion (Ca2+) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) in circulation. Defects in mice result in clinical features resembling disorders found in human aging. Although the importance of transmembrane-type αKl has been demonstrated, less is known regarding the physiological importance of soluble-type αKl (sαKl) in circulation. Objectives The aims of this study were: (1) to establish a sandwich ELISA system enabling detection of circulating serum sαKl, and (2) to determine reference values for sαKl serum levels and relationship to indices of renal function, mineral metabolism, age and sex in healthy subjects. Results We successively developed an ELISA to measure serum sαKl in healthy volunteers (n = 142, males 66) of ages (61.1 ± 18.5 year). The levels (mean ± SD) in these healthy control adults were as follows: total calcium (Ca; 9.46 ± 0.41 mg/dL), Pi (3.63 ± 0.51 mg/dL), blood urea nitrogen (BUN; 15.7 ± 4.3 mg/dL), creatinine (Cre; 0.69 ± 0.14 mg/dL), 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D; 54.8 ± 17.7 pg/mL), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH; 49.2 ± 20.6 pg/mL), calcitonin (26.0 ± 12.3 pg/mL) and intact fibroblast growth factor (FGF23; 43.8 ± 17.6 pg/mL). Serum levels of sαKl ranged from 239 to 1266 pg/mL (mean ± SD; 562 ± 146 pg/mL) in normal adults. Although sαKl levels were not modified by gender or indices of mineral metabolism, sαKl levels were inversely related to Cre and age. However, sαKl levels in normal children (n = 39, males 23, mean ± SD; 7.1 ± 4.8 years) were significantly higher (mean ± SD; 952 ± 282 pg/mL) than those in adults (mean ± SD; 562 ± 146, P < 0.001). A multivariate linear regression analysis including children and adults in this study demonstrated that sαKl correlated negatively with age and Ca, and positively with Pi. Finally, we measured a serum sαKl from a patient with severe tumoral calcinosis derived from a homozygous missense mutation of α-klotho gene. In this patient, sαKl level was notably lower than those of age-matched controls. Conclusion We established a detection system to measure human serum sαKl for the first time. Age, Ca and Pi seem to influence serum sαKl levels in a normal population. This detection system should be an excellent tool for investigating sαKl functions in mineral metabolism

An Active C-Terminally Truncated Form of Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Phosphatase-N (CaMKP-N/PPM1E)

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP/PPM1F) and its nuclear homolog CaMKP-N (PPM1E) are Ser/Thr protein phosphatases that belong to the PPM family. CaMKP-N is expressed in the brain and undergoes proteolytic processing to yield a C-terminally truncated form. The physiological significance of this processing, however, is not fully understood. Using a wheat-embryo cell-free protein expression system, we prepared human CaMKP-N (hCaMKP-N(WT)) and the truncated form, hCaMKP-N(1–559), to compare their enzymatic properties using a phosphopeptide substrate. The hCaMKP-N(1–559) exhibited a much higher value than the hCaMKP-N(WT) did, suggesting that the processing may be a regulatory mechanism to generate a more active species. The active form, hCaMKP-N(1–559), showed Mn2+ or Mg2+-dependent phosphatase activity with a strong preference for phospho-Thr residues and was severely inhibited by NaF, but not by okadaic acid, calyculin A, or 1-amino-8-naphthol-2,4-disulfonic acid, a specific inhibitor of CaMKP. It could bind to postsynaptic density and dephosphorylate the autophosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Furthermore, it was inactivated by H2O2 treatment, and the inactivation was completely reversed by treatment with DTT, implying that this process is reversibly regulated by oxidation/reduction. The truncated CaMKP-N may play an important physiological role in neuronal cells.This work was supported, in part, by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (21590334) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan and by a grant from the Japan Foundation for Applied Enzymology

Control of seed dormancy and germination by DOG1-AHG1 PP2C phosphatase complex via binding to heme

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates abiotic stress and developmental responses including regulation of seed dormancy to prevent seeds from germinating under unfavorable environmental conditions. ABA HYPERSENSITIVE GERMINATION1 (AHG1) encoding a type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) is a central negative regulator of ABA response in germination; however, the molecular function and regulation of AHG1 remain elusive. Here we report that AHG1 interacts with DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1), which is a pivotal positive regulator in seed dormancy. DOG1 acts upstream of AHG1 and impairs the PP2C activity of AHG1 in vitro. Furthermore, DOG1 has the ability to bind heme. Binding of DOG1 to AHG1 and heme are independent processes, but both are essential for DOG1 function in vivo. Our study demonstrates that AHG1 and DOG1 constitute an important regulatory system for seed dormancy and germination by integrating multiple environmental signals, in parallel with the PYL/RCAR ABA receptor-mediated regulatory system

Impurity emission characteristics of long pulse discharges in Large Helical Device

Line spectra from intrinsic impurity ions have been monitored during the three kinds of long-pulse discharges (ICH, ECH, NBI). Constant emission from the iron impurity shows no preferential accumulation of iron ion during the long-pulse operations. Stable Doppler ion temperature has been also measured from Fe XX, C V and C III spectra

Clinical Evaluation of Breech Deliveries Over a Fifteen-Year Period at a Hospital in Ota, Japan

Objective : To examine the characteristics and perinatal outcome of pregnancies with breech presentation. Methods : Breech deliveries were divided into four groups : primipara vaginal delivery group (PV-multipara vaginal delivery group (MV-G), planned cesarean section group (PC-G), and emergency cesarean section group (EC-G). The maternal age, gestational week, neonatal birth weight, and Apgar score were compared.Results : There were no significant differences in maternal age, gestational week as well as neonatal birth weight among the four groups. An Apgar score at 1 minute of less than 6 points was seen in 0%, 11.1%, 15.3%, and 20% of the PC, MV, PV and EC-Gs, respectively. (PV-G and PC-G were compared to obtain p < 0.05) Although, no neonate in this study had an Apgar score at 5 minutes of less than 6 points.Conclusion : There was no significant difference of perinatal outcome between vaginal delivery and cesarean section for breech presentation at term