Mass Spectrometric Study of the Negative Ion Formation of Nitroethylene at High Electron Energies

The formation of the molecular and the dimer negative ions of nitroethylene at high electron energies was studied. The intensity of the molecular negative ion showed a second order dependence on the pressure below 10⁻⁴ torr and a higher than second order dependence above 10⁻⁴ torr. The intensity of the dimer negative ion showed a second order dependence greater than that of the molecular negative ion. The intensity of the molecular negative ion was found to be dependent on the pressure of additional rare gases. This suggests that the collisional stabilization of excited ions is very important at high electron energies

Photocycle features of heterologously expressed and assembled eukaryotic flavin-binding BLUF domains of photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC), a blue-light receptor in Euglena gracilis

Photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC) is a recently discovered blue-light photoreceptor that mediates photomovement in Euglena gracilis (Iseki et al., Nature, 2002, 415, 1047-1051). PAC appears to be a heterotetramer composed of two FAD-binding subunits (PACα and PACβ). Both subunits have a pair of homologous regions (F1 and F2) which show homology with prokaryotic "sensors of blue-light using FAD" (BLUF) domains. The F1 and F2 domains of PAC are the only eukaryotic BLUF domains found thus far. We obtained soluble recombinant F1 and F2 proteins in PACα by heterologous expression with fused glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in E. coli. The expressed F1 samples did not bind flavins, but the F2 samples contained both FAD and FMN with trace amounts of riboflavin. We also assembled the histidine-tagged recombinant F2 (6His-F2) from inclusion bodies in E. coli with exogenous FAD or FMN. Blue-light-induced changes in absorption spectra of these assembled samples were highly similar to those reported for prokaryotic BLUF domains. The FAD- or FMN-assembled 6His-F2 photocycled with nearly the same rate constants of light-reaction and dark-relaxation, which were slightly lower than those of GST-cleaved F2. The estimated quantum efficiency for the phototransformation was 0.28-0.32, and the half-life was 34-44 s at 25 °C for the recombinant PACα F2, whereas that reported for prokaryotic BLUF domains varied from ca. 3.5 s (Tl10078) to ca. 900 s (AppA). The mutated recombinant Y472F and Q514G of PACα F2 and the F2 domain of the PACα homologue from Eutreptiella gymnastica, which lacks the Gln residue conserved in other BLUF domains, showed no photoinduced transformation

デンシスピンキョウメイソクテイニヨル13ジエンカゴウブツノホウシャセンイオンジュウゴウノショキカテイニカンスルケンキュウ

京都大学0048新制・論文博士工学博士乙第2323号論工博第614号新制||工||252(附属図書館)3740UT51-48-E673(主査)教授 岡村 誠三, 教授 東村 敏延, 教授 西島 安則学位規則第5条第2項該当Kyoto UniversityDA

Japanese Sweetpotatoes: Production, Cultivars, and Possible Ancestry

Sweetpotato has recently received much attention due to its many agricultural advantages such as its adaptability to different environmental conditions and its nutritional value. It has been grown in Japan for more than 400 years, and the bulk of the Japanese harvest is presently destined for fresh market consumption as well as for the food and beverage processing industry. This review begins by providing an overview of the commercial production and agronomic characteristics of sweetpotato cultivars in Japan. The paper deals with the possible ancestry of Japanese sweetpotatoes, and finally describes several orange- or purple-fleshed genotypes that are adapted well to cold northern climates and considered as valuable sources for enhancing the physiological functionality of this crop

Association between Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and the Liver Fibrosis Score in Patients with and without Coronary Artery Disease: From the FU-CCTA Registry

The liver fibrosis score reflects the degree of hepatic scarring and has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease. Using a coronary artery computed tomography angiography registry at the Fukuoka University Hospital (FU-CCTA registry), we investigated the association between major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and the liver fibrosis score (fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4I)) in 612 patients who underwent CCTA to screen for coronary artery disease and performed a prognosis survey for up to 5 years. The primary endpoint was MACEs (all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, coronary revascularization). FIB-4I in all patients and in patients with hypertension (HTN) was significantly higher in the MACE group than in the non-MACE group. The event-free survival rate of MACEs targeting only patients with HTN was significantly lower in patients with a high risk of liver fibrosis (FIB-4I values of 2.67 or higher) than in those with a low or intermediate risk (less than 2.67). However, no significant difference was observed in all patients or in patients without HTN. Finally, FIB-4I and body mass index were independent factors associated with MACEs in patients with HTN. In conclusion, the liver fibrosis score may be an independent predictor of MACEs in hypertensive patients undergoing CCTA