Analysis of public attitudes towards “local agreements” on restarting nuclear power plants: a questionnaire survey in four prefectures in Japan

This study explored public attitudes towards the “local agreement” process as it relates to the restart of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Japan. Conflicts have arisen over not only whether NPPs should be restarted, but also how and by whom the local agreements on their restart should be made. Using exploratory factor analysis on the data from an online monitor questionnaire survey conducted in four prefectures with NPPs in Japan, this study identified three latent factors behind public attitudes: “the conventional decision makers,” “those negatively affected,” and “those benefitting from the restart.” A multi-regression analysis of factor scores showed that opinions on restarting NPPs, prefectural referendums, and the geographical range of local agreements were related to attitudes towards local agreements. There were also differences in attitudes towards local agreements according to prefectures, gender, and age, while where respondents live in relation to the nearby NPP had little influence. To design a more socially acceptable local agreement process, it is necessary to reconcile such differences. By providing a better understanding of the local politics regarding restarting NPPs in Japan, this study paved the way for resolving conflicts over local agreements.</p

Deuterium Labeling of Isoaspartic and Isoglutamic Acids for Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Isoaspartic acid (isoAsp) is a common protein modification that spontaneously arises from asparagine or aspartic acid and has been linked to various diseases and health conditions. However, current methods for identifying isoAsp sites in proteins often suffer from ambiguity and have not gained widespread adoption. We developed a novel method that exclusively labels isoAsp with deuterium. This method capitalizes on the unique structural characteristics of isoAsp residues, which possess a free α-carboxyl group and can form an oxazolone ring. Once the oxazolone ring forms, it facilitates racemization at the Cα-position, incorporating a deuteron from a D2O solvent. The sites of deuterium-incorporated isoAsp in proteins can be unequivocally determined by comparing the precursor and product ion masses of the peptides from proteins reacted in H2O and D2O. The effectiveness of this method has been demonstrated through its application to model proteins lysozyme and rituximab. Furthermore, we have confirmed that the isoAsp deuterium-labeling reaction efficiently labels both l- and d-isoAsp without distinction, as well as isoglutamic acid (isoGlu), for which no effective detection methods currently exist

Multicomponent Coupling Reaction Using Arynes: Synthesis of Xanthene Derivatives

One-pot synthesis of xanthene derivatives was achieved by a route involving the cascade three-component coupling reaction of arynes with DMF and active methylenes followed by the S_N2′ reaction of three-component coupling products with thiols. The reactivity of three-component coupling products toward nucleophiles and the further conversion of oxygen heterocycles allowing facile incorporation of structural variety were studied

Imidazole C‑2 Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Reaction at Histidine for Probing Protein Structure and Function with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry

We present a mass spectrometric method for analyzing protein structure and function, based on the imidazole C-2 or histidine C^ε1 hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange reaction, which is intrinsically second-order with respect to the concentrations of the imidazolium cation and OD^– in D₂O. The second-order rate constant (<i>k</i>₂) of this reaction was calculated from the pH dependency of the pseudo-first-order rate constant (<i>k</i>_φ) obtained from the change in average mass [Δ<i>M</i>_r (0 ≤ Δ<i>M</i>_r < 1)] of a peptide fragment containing a defined histidine residue at incubation time (<i>t</i>) such that <i>k</i>_φ = −[ln­(1 – Δ<i>M</i>_r)]/<i>t</i>. We preferred using <i>k</i>₂ rather than <i>k</i>_φ because <i>k</i>₂^max (maximal value of <i>k</i>₂) was empirically related to p<i>K</i>_a as illustrated with a Brønsted plot [log <i>k</i>₂^max = −0.7p<i>K</i>_a + α (α is an arbitrary constant)], so that we could analyze the effect of structure on the H/D exchange rate in terms of log­(<i>k</i>₂^max/<i>k</i>₂) representing the deviation of <i>k</i>₂ from <i>k</i>₂^max. In the catalytic site of bovine ribonuclease A, His12 showed a change in log­(<i>k</i>₂^max/<i>k</i>₂) much larger than that of His119 upon binding with cytidine 3′-monophosphate, as anticipated from the X-ray structures and the possible change in solvent accessibility. However, we need to consider the hydrogen bonds of the imidazole group with nondissociable groups to interpret an extremely slow H/D exchange rate of His48 in a partially solvent-exposed situation