Zinc Inhibition of t -[ 3 H]Butylbicycloorthobenzoate Binding to the GABA A Receptor Complex

The effect of Zn 2+ on t -[ 3 H]butylbicycloorthobenzoate ([ 3 H]TBOB) binding to the GABA A receptor complex was studied autoradiographically in rat brain. Zn 2+ inhibited [ 3 H]TBOB binding in a dose-dependent manner at physiological concentrations. Saturation analysis revealed noncompetitive inhibition in various brain regions. The inhibitory effect of Zn 2+ had regional heterogeneity; regions showing the greatest inhibition of [ 3 H]TBOB binding were cortical laminae I–III, most areas of hippocampus, striatum, septum, and cerebellar cortex. Regions with relatively less inhibition of [ 3 H]TBOB binding included cortical laminae V–VI, thalamus, superior colliculus, inferior colliculus, and central gray matter. The effect of Zn 2+ and those of other GABA A ligands, such as benzodiazepines, bicuculline, isoguvacine, and picrotoxin, on [ 3 H]TBOB binding seemed to be additive. Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Cu 2+ also inhibited [ 3 H]TBOB binding with a regional heterogeneity similar to that produced by Zn 2+ . These results are consistent with Zn 2+ acting at the previously detected recognition site on the GABA A receptor complex, distinct from the picrotoxin, GABA, and benzodiazepine sites. The regional heterogeneity of the Zn 2+ effect may reflect differential regional distribution of GABA A receptor subtypes among brain regions. Other divalent cations probably act at the Zn 2+ binding site.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66304/1/j.1471-4159.1994.62020602.x.pd

Beryllium Abundances of Solar-Analog Stars

An extensive beryllium abundance analysis was conducted for 118 solar analogs (along with 87 FGK standard stars) by applying the spectrum synthesis technique to the near-UV region comprising the Be II line at 3131.066 A, in an attempt to investigate whether Be suffers any depletion such as the case of Li showing a large diversity. We found that, while most of these Sun-like stars are superficially similar in terms of their A(Be) (Be abundances) around the solar value within ~ +/- 0.2dex, 4 out of 118 samples turned out strikingly Be-deficient (by more than ~2 dex) and these 4 stars belong to the group of lowest v_e sin i (projected rotation velocity). Moreover, even for the other majority showing an apparent similarity in Be, we can recognize a tendency that A(Be) gradually increases with an increase in v_e sin i. These observational facts suggest that any solar analog star (including the Sun) generally suffers some kind of Be depletion during their lives, where the rotational velocity (or the angular momentum) plays an important role in the sense that depletion tends to be enhanced by slower rotation. Hence, our findings require that the occasionally stated view "G-type dwarfs with T_eff ~< 6000 K are essentially homogeneous in Be with their original composition retained" should be revised. Also, our analysis indicates that the difference of ~0.2 dex in A(Be) between the solar photosphere and the meteorite really exists, implying that "UV missing opacity" is irrelevant at least for this Be II line.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables and 3 electronic tables (included as ancillary files), accepted for publication in Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan (2011, Vol. 63, No. 4

Capability Leapfrogging in the Japanese IT Services Industry

The focal question that we address is about how firms transition their IT product capabilities to the IT services capabilities. In particular, we were interested in exploring the unexpected observation that some incumbent firms in the Japanese IT industry were able to leapfrog capability development for transitioning to the IT services model, while others struggled to do so. We use a multi-method (Mingers 2001) approach consisting of four complementary stages for addressing the research question: (a) multiple case studies in eleven leading Japanese IT firms, (b) a large scale survey of division managers in 208 firms in Japan, (c) quantitative sequence analysis of archival product development logs for over 1,800 IT products in 208 Japanese firms during the ongoing transition, and (d) a Monte Carlo simulation of a subset of the insights obtained in the preceding stages

Broadband multi-layer anti-reflection coatings with mullite and duroid for half-wave plates and alumina filters for CMB polarimetry

A broadband two-layer anti-reflection (AR) coating was developed for use on a sapphire half-wave plate (HWP) and an alumina infrared (IR) filter for cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimetry. Measuring tiny CMB B-mode signals requires maximizing the number of photons reaching the detectors and minimizing spurious polarization due to reflection with an off-axis incident angle. However, a sapphire HWP and an alumina IR filter have high refractive indices of about 3.1, and an AR coating must be applied to them. Thermally sprayed mullite and Duroid 5880LZ were selected in terms of index and coefficient of thermal expansion for use at cryogenic temperatures. With these materials, the reflectivity was reduced to about 2% at 90/150 GHz and <1% at 220/280 GHz. The design, fabrication, and optical performance evaluation of the AR coatings are described. The coatings were used in a current ground-based CMB experiment called the Simons Array. They could also be applied to next-generation CMB experiments, such as the Simons Observatory.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Stock Price Change Rate Prediction by Utilizing Social Network Activities

Predicting stock price change rates for providing valuable information to investors is a challenging task. Individual participants may express their opinions in social network service (SNS) before or after their transactions in the market; we hypothesize that stock price change rate is better predicted by a function of social network service activities and technical indicators than by a function of just stock market activities. The hypothesis is tested by accuracy of predictions as well as performance of simulated trading because success or failure of prediction is better measured by profits or losses the investors gain or suffer. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model that combines multiple kernel learning (MKL) and genetic algorithm (GA). MKL is adopted to optimize the stock price change rate prediction models that are expressed in a multiple kernel linear function of different types of features extracted from different sources. GA is used to optimize the trading rules used in the simulated trading by fusing the return predictions and values of three well-known overbought and oversold technical indicators. Accumulated return and Sharpe ratio were used to test the goodness of performance of the simulated trading. Experimental results show that our proposed model performed better than other models including ones using state of the art techniques

University Administrators’ Visions for the Recovery of International Student Exchange in a Post–COVID-19 World

Objectives: Little is known about how international functions of higher education, such as exchange programmes, can be resumed during recovery from a disruptive global crisis, such as COVID-19. We collected the opinions of administrators of international exchange programmes regarding their plans to resume their exchange programmes in the recovery phase and identified variations in the responses concerning institution type (public vs. private) and the presence or absence of a medical school. Method: We used multiple-choice survey questions in our study, resulting in 180 valid responses. We examined overall patterns using descriptive statistics and institutional uniqueness using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Governing organisations and domestic university networks are expected to initiate the resumption of student exchange programmes. Respondents indicate that they would rely on infection prevention experts at their institutions as sources of information for their decision-making. Public universities would rely more extensively on their staff’s opinions whilst private universities would consult with external experts. Universities with a medical school indicated a greater likelihood of referring to the opinions of experts at their institutions. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: Higher education systems vary across nations. However, extant studies have shown some shared features, and the findings may have implications for higher education institutions internationally. Policy incentives and support may encourage public universities to participate in the global recovery of international education. During global public health infectious crises, institutions without a medical school may require more government support. Conclusions: Institutional variations should be considered to effectively encourage universities to adapt to changing dynamics in the recovery of international education. Method: The study used multiple-choice survey questions, resulting in 180 valid responses. The study examined overall patterns using descriptive statistics and institutional uniqueness using Fisher\u27s exact test. Results: Governing organisations and domestic university networks are expected to initiate the resumption of student exchange. Respondents indicate that they would rely on infection prevention experts at their institutions as sources of information for their decision-making. Public universities would rely more extensively on their staff’s opinions whilst private universities would consult with external experts. Universities with a medical school indicated a greater likelihood of referring to the opinions of experts at their institutions. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: The higher education systems vary across nations. However, extant studies have shown some shared features, and the findings may have implications for higher education institutions internationally. Policy incentives and support may encourage public universities to participate in the global recovery of international education. During global public health infectious crises, institutions without a medical school may require more government support. Conclusions: Institutional variations should be considered to effectively encourage universities to adapt to changing dynamics in the recovery of international education

Systemic Supplementation of Collagen VI by Neonatal Transplantation of iPSC-Derived MSCs Improves Histological Phenotype and Function of Col6-Deficient Model Mice

6型コラーゲン欠損筋ジストロフィーに対する細胞治療法の開発. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-29.Collagen VI is distributed in the interstitium and is secreted mainly by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in skeletal muscle. Mutations in COL6A1-3 genes cause a spectrum of COL6-related myopathies. In this study, we performed a systemic transplantation study of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs (iMSCs) into neonatal immunodeficient COL6-related myopathy model (Col6a1[KO]/NSG) mice to validate the therapeutic potential. Engraftment of the donor cells and the resulting rescued collagen VI were observed at the quadriceps and diaphragm after intraperitoneal iMSC transplantation. Transplanted mice showed improvement in pathophysiological characteristics compared with untreated Col6a1[KO]/NSG mice. In detail, higher muscle regeneration in the transplanted mice resulted in increased muscle weight and enlarged myofibers. Eight-week-old mice showed increased muscle force and performed better in the grip and rotarod tests. Overall, these findings support the concept that systemic iMSC transplantation can be a therapeutic option for COL6-related myopathies

Site-directed mutagenesis of a possible type I copper ligand of bilirubin oxidase; a Met467Gln mutant shows stellacyanin-like properties

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系In our previous paper, we reported a mutant of recombinant Myrothecium verrucaria bilirubin oxidase, in which the Met467 residue was replaced by Gly. This mutant displayed a remarkable reduction in enzymatic activity and an evident decrease in the intensity of the absorption band around 600 nm (type 1 charge transfer transition). In this study, we report the preparation of three Met467 mutants (Met467Gln, Met467His, and Met467Arg) and characterize their enzymatic activities, midpoint potentials, and absorption and ESR spectra. Met467His and Met467Arg show no enzymatic activity and a great reduction in the intensity of the absorption band around 600 nm. Furthermore, their ESR spectra show no type 1 copper signal, but only a type 2 copper signal; however, oxidation by ferricyanide caused the type 1 copper signal to appear. On the other hand, Met467Gln as expressed shows both type 1 and type 2 copper signals in its ESR spectrum, the type 1 copper atom parameters being very different from usual blue copper proteins but very similar to those of stellacyanin. The enzymatic activity of the Met467Gln mutant for bilirubin is quite low (0.3%), but the activity for potassium ferrocyanide is similar (130%) to that of the wild type enzyme. These results indicate that Met467 is important for characterizing the features of the type 1 copper of bilirubin oxidase