Nestmate Recognition and Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Two Sympatric Species of Reticulitermes in Japan (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

The nestmate recognition of two sympatric species, R. kanmonensis and R. speratus, was investigated in terms of agonistic behavior and trophallactic behavior. R. speratus showed strong agonistic behavior against different species, but no trophallactic contact with them. However, agonistic behavior against different colonies of the same species was weak, and trophallactic exchange of food was observed. On the other hand, R. kanmonensis showed strong agonistic behavior not only against different species but also against different colonies of the same species, and trophallactic contact was absent. These results indicate that R. kanmonensis does not exhibit colony fusion, unlike R. speratus, which is known to exhibit colony fusion. This marked difference in the occurrence of colony fusion can be related to the difference in the distribution pattern of the two species. Cuticular hydrocarbons of both species were also analyzed. Relatively high hydrocarbon homogeneity was observed among colonies in R. kanmonensis compared to R. speratus

The Rate of Turbulent Spot Formation in a Boundary-Layer Transition Region

The distribution of the rate of turbulent spot formation in the boundary layer transition region along a flat plate is estimated, in a phenomenological manner, on the basis of available experimental results. The distribution shows an unexpected feature; i. e., the gradual decrement in the latter part of the transition region. This implies the possible existence of some effects suppressing the formation of spots in the latter part of the region.Article信州大学工学部紀要 19: 27-33 (1965)departmental bulletin pape

Determination of Anaphylatoxin Concentrations in Suction Blisters in Patients with Psoriasis

Concentrations of C3a and C4a anaphylatoxins in suction blister fluids were determined by radioimmunoassay in patients with psoriasis and normal controls. Comparison of anaphylatoxin levels between serum samples and blister contents in the same subjects revealed that the levels of both C3a and C4a anaphylatoxins were significantly higher in the former than the latter even in those raised on normal skin, suggesting that the classic complement pathway is activated during suction procedure. Therefore we cannot regard suction blister fluid to be simply representative of undisturbed interstitial tissue fluid as far as the complement system is concerned. There was no difference in anaphylatoxin levels between those from uninvolved skin of psoriatic patients and those from normal controls. However, significantly high anaphylatoxin levels were noted in fluids of suction blisters raised on lesional skin as compared with those produced on uninvolved skin in psoriatic patients

Transmembrane stem cell factor protein therapeutics enhance revascularization in ischemia without mast cell activation

Diabetes mellitus affects approximately 350 million people worldwide, leading to the death of about 4.6 million people per year. As a complication of diabetes, 30-40 percent of patients age 50 and older develop peripheral artery disease (PAD). The current standard of care treatments for PAD includes surgical revascularization with bypass grafting or percutaneous interventions. However, these interventions cannot be performed in a significant portion of patients, and many do not respond to these therapies. An alternative approach for treating PAD is to use proteins to stimulate the body to create new vasculature, thus restoring blood flow through its own regenerative processes. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine that acts through the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit to regulate hematopoiesis and has been a candidate protein for treating PAD. Clinical use of soluble SCF would be highly beneficial but has been limited due to toxicity related to mast cell activation. SCF also exists in a transmembrane form that has differential activity from soluble SCF and has not been explored as a therapeutic agent. To explore the transmembrane SCF (tmSCF) as a therapeutic we created formulations of tmSCF embedded in proteoliposomes or in lipid nanodiscs. Mouse models of anaphylaxis and ischemia revealed the tmSCF-based therapies did not activate mast cells and were effective in improving the recovery from ischemia in both wild type and diabetic mice. We also found that the formulation of the lipid nanocarrier to deliver tmSCF altered the biological response and trophism of the tmSCF-based treatments. Proteoliposomal tmSCF preferentially acted on mature endothelial cells to induce angiogenesis while tmSCF nanodiscs had greater activity in inducing stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow and recruitment to ischemic sites. A mechanistic analysis of the effects of the treatments on mast cells, mature endothelial cells and endothelial progenitor cells, revealed that the nanocarriers altered the relative utilization of clathrin- versus caveolin-mediated uptake pathways of c-Kit in response to the treatments. Overall, our studies support tmSCF-based therapies can provide therapeutic benefits without off-target effects on mast cells and that lipid nanocarriers can be used to tailor the properties of membrane protein-based therapeutics.Biomedical Engineerin

Molecular dynamics study on condensation/evaporation coefficients of chain molecules at liquid-vapor interface

The structure and thermodynamic properties of the liquid–vapor interface are of fundamental interest for numerous technological implications. For simple molecules, e.g., argon and water, the molecular condensation/evaporation behavior depends strongly on their translational motion and the system temperature. Existing molecular dynamics (MD) results are consistent with the theoretical predictions based on the assumption that the liquid and vapor states in the vicinity of the liquid–vapor interface are isotropic. Additionally, similar molecular condensation/evaporation characteristics have been found for long-chain molecules, e.g., dodecane. It is unclear, however, whether the isotropic assumption is valid and whether the molecular orientation or the chain length of the molecules affects the condensation/evaporation behavior at the liquid–vapor interface. In this study, MD simulations were performedto study the molecular condensation/evaporation behavior of the straight-chain alkanes, i.e., butane,octane, and dodecane, at the liquid–vapor interface, and the effects of the molecular orientationand chain length were investigated in equilibrium systems. The results showed that the condensation/evaporation behavior of chain molecules primarily depends on the molecular translational energyand the surface temperature and is independent of the molecular chain length. Furthermore, the orientation at the liquid–vapor interface was disordered when the surface temperature was sufficientlyhigher than the triple point and had no significant effect on the molecular condensation/evaporation behavior. The validity of the isotropic assumption was confirmed, and we conclude that the condensation/evaporation coefficients can be predicted by the liquid-to-vapor translational length ratio, even for chain molecules

Ovarian Development of Female-Female Pairs in the Termite, Reticulitermes speratus

In the rhinotermitid termite Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), facultative parthenogenesis is known to occur occasionally and females cooperate with other females to found the colony. To elucidate the ovarian development in these two females, incipient female-female colonies were established under laboratory conditions, and the process of colony development was observed at 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 7.5 months (stages I–V, respectively) after colony foundation. Ovarian development, vitellogenin gene expression, and juvenile hormone (JH) titers were examined. A precise reproductive cycle in both females was observed, in which the oviposition rate was relatively higher during stages I and II, decreased during stages III and IV, and then increased again at stage V. JH III titer and vitellogenin gene expression changed in parallel throughout the reproductive cycle of these queens. Ovarian maturation and vitellogenesis were similar in both females in a female-female colony at all stages examined, suggesting that no conflicts existed for two females in terms of oviposition

Light-Induced Nanosecond Relaxation Dynamics of Rhenium-Labeled Pseudomonas aeruginosa Azurins.

Time-resolved phosphorescence spectra of Re(CO)3(dmp)+ and Re(CO)3(phen)+ chromophores (dmp = 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) bound to surface histidines (H83, H124, and H126) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin mutants exhibit dynamic band maxima shifts to lower wavenumbers following 3-exponential kinetics with 1-5 and 20-100 ns major phases and a 1.1-2.5 μs minor (5-16%) phase. Observation of slow relaxation components was made possible by using an organometallic Re chromophore as a probe whose long phosphorescence lifetime extends the observation window up to ∼3 μs. Integrated emission-band areas also decay with 2- or 3-exponential kinetics; the faster decay phase(s) is relaxation-related, whereas the slowest one [360-680 ns (dmp); 90-140 ns (phen)] arises mainly from population decay. As a result of shifting bands, the emission intensity decay kinetics depend on the detection wavelength. Detailed kinetics analyses and comparisons with band-shift dynamics are needed to disentangle relaxation and population decay kinetics if they occur on comparable timescales. The dynamic phosphorescence Stokes shift in Re-azurins is caused by relaxation motions of the solvent, the protein, and solvated amino acid side chains at the Re binding site in response to chromophore electronic excitation. Comparing relaxation and decay kinetics of Re(dmp)124K122Cu II and Re(dmp)124W122Cu II suggests that electron transfer (ET) and relaxation motions in the W122 mutant are coupled. It follows that nanosecond and faster photo-induced ET steps in azurins (and likely other redox proteins) occur from unrelaxed systems; importantly, these reactions can be driven (or hindered) by structural and solvational dynamics

Two-photon spectroscopy of tungsten(0) arylisocyanides using nanosecond-pulsed excitation

The two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections (δ) for tungsten(0) arylisocyanides (W(CNAr)6) were determined in the 800–1000 nm region using two-photon luminescence (TPL) spectroscopy. The complexes have high TPA cross sections, in the range 1000–2000 GM at 811.8 nm. In comparison, the cross section at 811.8 nm for tris-(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II), [Ru(bpy)_3]^(2+), is 7 GM. All measurements were performed using a nanosecond-pulsed laser system

近世後期加賀藩における出版文化の諸相

取得学位:博士（文学）,授与番号:博士乙第6号,授与年月日:2002年3月225日,授与大学:金沢大学,論文審査委員長:中野, 節子, 論文審査委員:　笠井, 純一 / 江森, 一郎 / 木越,