On the Z_p-ranks of tamely ramified Iwasawa modules

For a prime number p, we denote by K the cyclotomic Z_p-extension of a number field k. For a finite set S of prime numbers, we consider the S-ramified Iwasawa module which is the Galois group of the maximal abelian pro-p-extension of K unramified outside S. This paper treats the case where S does not contain p and k is the rational number field or an imaginary quadratic field. In this case, we prove the explicit formulae for the free ranks of the S-ramified Iwasawa modules as abelian pro-p groups, by using Brumer's p-adic version of Baker's theorem on the linear independence of logarithms of algebraic numbers

Characteristics of a Monoacylglycerol Lipase Isolated from Pseudomonas sp. LP7315 -Hydrolysis and Synthesis of Monoglycerides

A monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) was purified from Pseudomonas sp. LP7315 by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, and preparative electrophoresis. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on an SDS-polyacrylamide gel with a molecular mass of 59 kDa. Its hydrolytic activity was confirmed to be specific for monoglycerides: the enzyme did not hydrolyze diand triglycerides. MGL was found to be stable even after l-h incubation at 65℃. The hydrolytic activity depended not only on temperature and pH but also on the type of monoglyceride used. MGL also catalyzed monoglyceride synthesis at 65℃ in a solvent-free two-phase system, in which fatty acid droplets were dispersed in the glycerol phase with a low water content. The synthetic reaction proceeded at a constant rate for approximately 24 h and reached an equilibrium after 48 h of reaction. The initial rate of the synthetic reaction depended on several factors: the type of fatty acid used as the substrate, the amounts of fatty acid and glycerol, and the concentration of MGL in the glycerol phase. To analyze the effects of these factors, a kinetic model was developed based on the assumption that the adsorption equilibrium of MGL molecules at the interface between the two phases is the rate-determining factor for the synthetic reaction. The model was found to yield a good approximation of the initial synthetic rate under various reaction conditions. The analysis suggests that the adsorption behavior of MGL onto the interface had a large effect on the initial rate of the monoglyceride synthesis

Photonics of fullerene-conducting polymer composites and multilayered structures: new results and prospects

SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United StatesKatsumi Yoshino, Kenji Yoshimoto, Kazuya Tada, Hishashi Araki, Tsuyoshi Kawai, Masanori Ozaki, and Anvar A. Zakhidov "Photonics of fullerene-conducting polymer composites and multilayered structures: new results and prospects", Proc. SPIE 2530, Fullerenes and Photonics II, (8 December 1995). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.22812

OCT with a Visible Broadband Light Source Applied to High-Resolution Nondestructive Inspection for Semiconductor Optical Devices

Optical coherence tomography with a visible broadband light source (vis-OCT) was developed for high-resolution and nondestructive measurements of semiconductor optical devices. Although a near-infrared (NIR) light source should be used for medical OCT to obtain deep penetration of biological samples, a visible broadband light source is available as a low-coherence light source for industrial products. Vis-OCT provides higher axial resolution than NIR-OCT, because the axial resolution of an OCT image is proportional to the square of the center wavelength of the light source. We developed vis-OCT with an axial resolution of less than 1 μm in air and obtained cross-sectional profiles and images of ridge-type waveguides having heights and widths of several μm. Additionally, we performed cross-sectional measurements and imaging of a stacked semiconductor thin layer. The measured values were similar to those measured by scanning electron microscopy, and the effectiveness of vis-OCT for nondestructive inspection of semiconductor optical devices was demonstrated

Low-temperature Synthesis of FeTe0.5Se0.5 Polycrystals with a High Transport Critical Current Density

We have prepared high-quality polycrystalline FeTe0.5Se0.5 at temperature as low as 550{\deg}C. The transport critical current density evaluated by the current-voltage characteristics is over 700 A/cm2 at 4.2 K under zero field, which is several times larger than FeTe0.5Se0.5 superconducting wires. The critical current density estimated from magneto-optical images of flux penetration is also similar to this value. The upper critical field of the polycrystalline FeTe0.5Se0.5 at T = 0 K estimated by Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg theory is 585 kOe, which is comparable to that of single crystals. This study gives some insight into how to improve the performance of FeTe0.5Se0.5 superconducting wires.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Positive association of AKT1 haplotype to Japanese methamphetamine use disorder

Recent evidence suggests that the AKT1-GSK3Β signalling cascade partially mediates dopaminedependentbehaviours. In relation to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia or methamphetamine (Meth)use disorder, AKT1 is a good candidate gene for such conditions. For schizophrenia, positive associationsof SNPs and AKT1 haplotypes were reported in US and Japanese samples. To evaluate the association between AKT1 and Meth-use disorder, we conducted a case-control study of Japanese samples (182 patients and 437 controls). A positive association between a SNP and haplotypes was found, and the ‘signal’ SNP was the same SNP found to be associated with US schizophrenia, but not with Japanese schizophrenia. Our results indicate that AKT1 may play a possible role in the development of Meth-use disorder. Further investigation of these associations, together with evidence from previous animal studies, may open the way to elucidation of the pathophysiology of this condition.</p

Association Analysis of Nuclear Receptor Rev-erb Alpha Gene (NR1D1) and Japanese Methamphetamine Dependence

Several investigations suggested abnormalities in circadian rhythms are related to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. Recently, orphan nuclear receptor rev-erb alpha and glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK-3β) were shown to be important circadian components. In addition, the orphan nuclear receptor rev-erb alpha is a key negative feedback regulator of the circadian clock. These evidences indicate that rev-erb alpha gene (NR1D1) is a good candidate gene for the pathogenesis of methamphetamine dependence. To evaluate the association between NR1D1 and methamphetamine dependence, we conducted a case-control study of Japanese samples (215 methamphetamine dependence and 232 controls) with three tagging SNPs selected by HapMap database. Written informed consent was obtained from each subject. This study was approved by the ethics committees at Fujita Health University, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine and each participating member of the Institute of the Japanese Genetics Initiative for Drug Abuse (JGIDA). We did not detect an association between NR1D1 and Japanese methamphetamine dependence patients in allele/genotype-wise analysis, or the haplotype analysis. Our findings suggest that NR1D1 does not play a major role in the pathophysiology of methamphetamine dependence in the Japanese population

Humoral immune response to islet autoantigens in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes.

In this study, we evaluated autoantibodies to IA-2 (IA-2As), glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GADAs), and islet cell antibodies (ICAs) in 233 patients with type 1 diabetes (M:F = 90:143, mean duration 4.0 +/- 6.7 yr) as a cross-sectional study. Of 233 patients with type 1 diabetes, IA-2A was detected in 58% of patients with duration within 2 weeks, 61% of patients with duration or=10 yr. These prevalences were similar to those of ICA, while the prevalence of GADA was not influenced by duration of diabetes with positivity of 63-74%. Thus, as the duration of diabetes became longer, the frequency of GADA(+)/IA-2A(-) patients increased and the frequency of GADA(+)/IA-2A(+) patients decreased. However, the frequency of GADA(-)/IA-2A(+) patients was not influenced by duration of diabetes. The prevalence of IA-2A was significantly higher in abrupt-onset group (68%, n= 79) compared to the slowly progressive group (23%, n= 22) in new-onset patients (P= 0.0001). However, there was no difference in the IA-2A frequency between these two groups (abrupt-onset 26%, n= 53 vs. slowly progressive 24%, n= 21) in patients with long-standing disease, suggesting that IA-2A positivity might persist in patients with slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. These results emphasize the heterogeneity of humoral autoimmunity to protein tyrosine phosphatase-like molecules, but not to GAD, in patients with type 1 diabetes

Dual Programmed Cell Death Pathways Induced by p53 Transactivation Overcome Resistance to Oncolytic Adenovirus in Human Osteosarcoma Cells

Tumor suppressor p53 is a multifunctional transcription factor that regulates diverse cell fates, including apoptosis and autophagy in tumor biology. p53 overexpression enhances the antitumor activity of oncolytic adenoviruses; however, the molecular mechanism of this occurrence remains unclear. We previously developed a tumor-specific replication-competent oncolytic adenovirus, OBP-301, that kills human osteosarcoma cells, but some human osteosarcoma cells were OBP-301-resistant. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of a p53-expressing oncolytic adenovirus, OBP-702, and the molecular mechanism of the p53-mediated cell death pathway in OBP-301-resistant human osteosarcoma cells. The cytopathic activity of OBP-702 was examined in OBP-301-sensitive (U2OS and HOS) and OBP-301-resistant (SaOS-2 and MNNG/HOS) human osteosarcoma cells. The molecular mechanism in the OBP-702-mediated induction of two cell death pathways, apoptosis and autophagy, was investigated in OBP-301-resistant osteosarcoma cells. The antitumor effect of OBP-702 was further assessed using an orthotopic OBP-301-resistant MNNG/HOS osteosarcoma xenograft tumor model. OBP-702 suppressed the viability of OBP-301-sensitive and -resistant osteosarcoma cells more efficiently than OBP-301 or a replication-deficient p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53). OBP-702 induced more profound apoptosis and autophagy when compared with OBP-301 or Ad-p53. E1A-mediated miR-93/106b upregulation induced p21 suppression, leading to p53-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in OBP-702-infected cells. p53 overexpression enhanced adenovirus-mediated autophagy through activation of damage-regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM). Moreover, OBP-702 suppressed tumor growth in an orthotopic OBP-301-resistant MNNG/HOS xenograft tumor model. These results suggest that OBP-702-mediated p53 transactivation is a promising antitumor strategy to induce dual apoptotic and autophagic cell death pathways via regulation of miRNA and DRAM in human osteosarcoma cells. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(3); 314-25