Optical conductivity of filled skutterudites

A simple tight-binding model is constructed for the description of the electronic structure of some Ce-based filled skutterudite compounds showing an energy gap or pseudogap behavior. Assuming band-diagonal electron interactions on this tight-binding model, the optical conductivity spectrum is calculated by applying the second-order self-consistent perturbation theory to treat the electron correlation. The correlation effect is found to be of great importance on the description of the temperature dependence of the optical conductivity. The rapid disappearance of an optical gap with increasing temperature is obtained as observed in the optical experiment for Ce-based filled-skutterudite compounds.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, use jpsj2.cls, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.73, No.10 (2004

Calculation of Optical Conductivity of YbB12_{12} using Realistic Tight-Binding Model

Based on the previously reported tight-binding model fitted to the LDA+U band calculation, optical conductivity of the prototypical Kondo insulator YbB$_{12}$ is calculated theoretically. Many-body effects are taken into account by the self-consistent second order perturbation theory. The gross shape of the optical conductivity observed in experiments are well described by the present calculation, including their temperature-dependences.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, use jpsj2.cls, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.73, No.10 (2004

In vivo dopamine-D2 and serotonin-5-HT2 receptor binding study of risperidone and haloperidol

金沢大学疾患モデル総合研究センターAn in vivo receptor binding technique was applied to evaluate the affinities of risperidone and haloperidol for dopamine-D2 receptors (D2) and serotonin-5-HT2 receptors (5-HT2) in rat brain with [3H]YM-09151-2 and [3H]ketanserin as selective ligands. Radioactivities were obtained in the striatum, frontal cortex, and cerebellum of the rats treated with the ligands. Time course study of receptor occupancy at 25 to 250 min after single doses of the drugs (1 mg/kg, IP) showed higher 5-HT2 occupancy in the frontal cortex and lower D2 occupancy in the striatum by risperidone than by haloperidol. Dose-response analysis of receptor occupancy revealed risperidone demonstrated higher binding affinity for 5-HT2 than for D2, while the reverse was observed with haloperidol. It appeared that risperidone (1 mg/kg, IP), but not haloperidol (1 mg/kg, IP), demonstrated regional selectivity in D2 occupancy favouring frontal cortex more than the striatum. That risperidone displayed a higher ratio of 5-HT2 to D2 in occupancy than haloperidol is in agreement with the previous findings obtained in vitro. © 1994

Time course of dopamine1,2 and serotonin2 receptor binding of antipsychotics in vivo

金沢大学疾患モデル総合研究センターAn in vivo receptor binding technique was applied to evaluate the affinities of clozapine (20 mg/kg), RMI-81582 (20 mg/kg), and haloperidol (1 mg/kg) for dopamine D1, D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors in rat brain with [3H]-SCH23390, [3H]-YM-09151-2, and [3H]-ketanserin as selective ligands. The time course study of receptor occupancy at 25 to 250 min after intraperitoneal administration of the drugs showed higher 5-HT2 and lower D2 receptor occupancies of clozapine and RMI-81582 than those of haloperidol both in the striatum and frontal cortex. The 5-HT2/D2 ratios of receptor occupancy for clozapine and RMI-81582 were about 6 to 8 times higher than that for haloperidol. Stable occupancies of D1 receptors were observed only with RMI-81582 and clozapine, the former demonstrating the higher occupancy. These findings are in agreement with the previous findings obtained under in vitro conditions and may account for some part of the properties of atypical antipsychotic drugs. © 1994

Coupling of Glucose Deprivation with Impaired Histone H2B Monoubiquitination in Tumors

Metabolic reprogramming is associated with tumorigenesis. However, glucose metabolism in tumors is poorly understood. Here, we report that glucose levels are significantly lower in bulk tumor specimens than those in normal tissues of the same tissue origins. We show that mono-ubiquitinated histone H2B (uH2B) is a semi-quantitative histone marker for glucose. We further show that loss of uH2B occurs specifically in cancer cells from a wide array of tumor specimens of breast, colon, lung and additional 23 anatomic sites. In contrast, uH2B levels remain high in stromal tissues or non-cancerous cells in the tumor specimens. Taken together, our data suggest that glucose deficiency and loss of uH2B are novel properties of cancer cells in vivo, which may represent important regulatory mechanisms of tumorigenesis

Imaging Immune and Metabolic Cells of Visceral Adipose Tissues with Multimodal Nonlinear Optical Microscopy

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) inflammation is recognized as a mechanism by which obesity is associated with metabolic diseases. The communication between adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) and adipocytes is important to understanding the interaction between immunity and energy metabolism and its roles in obesity-induced diseases. Yet visualizing adipocytes and macrophages in complex tissues is challenging to standard imaging methods. Here, we describe the use of a multimodal nonlinear optical (NLO) microscope to characterize the composition of VATs of lean and obese mice including adipocytes, macrophages, and collagen fibrils in a label-free manner. We show that lipid metabolism processes such as lipid droplet formation, lipid droplet microvesiculation, and free fatty acids trafficking can be dynamically monitored in macrophages and adipocytes. With its versatility, NLO microscopy should be a powerful imaging tool to complement molecular characterization of the immunity-metabolism interface

Hsmar1 transposition is sensitive to the topology of the transposon donor and the target

Hsmar1 is a member of the Tc1-mariner superfamily of DNA transposons. These elements mobilize within the genome of their host by a cut-and-paste mechanism. We have exploited the in vitro reaction provided by Hsmar1 to investigate the effect of DNA supercoiling on transposon integration. We found that the topology of both the transposon and the target affect integration. Relaxed transposons have an integration defect that can be partially restored in the presence of elevated levels of negatively supercoiled target DNA. Negatively supercoiled DNA is a better target than nicked or positively supercoiled DNA, suggesting that underwinding of the DNA helix promotes target interactions. Like other Tc1-mariner elements, Hsmar1 integrates into 5′-TA dinucleotides. The direct vicinity of the target TA provides little sequence specificity for target interactions. However, transposition within a plasmid substrate was not random and some TA dinucleotides were targeted preferentially. The distribution of intramolecular target sites was not affected by DNA topology

Automated Reporter Quantification In Vivo: High-Throughput Screening Method for Reporter-Based Assays in Zebrafish

Reporter-based assays underlie many high-throughput screening (HTS) platforms, but most are limited to in vitro applications. Here, we report a simple whole-organism HTS method for quantifying changes in reporter intensity in individual zebrafish over time termed, Automated Reporter Quantification in vivo (ARQiv). ARQiv differs from current “high-content” (e.g., confocal imaging-based) whole-organism screening technologies by providing a purely quantitative data acquisition approach that affords marked improvements in throughput. ARQiv uses a fluorescence microplate reader with specific detection functionalities necessary for robust quantification of reporter signals in vivo. This approach is: 1) Rapid; achieving true HTS capacities (i.e., >50,000 units per day), 2) Reproducible; attaining HTS-compatible assay quality (i.e., Z'-factors of ≥0.5), and 3) Flexible; amenable to nearly any reporter-based assay in zebrafish embryos, larvae, or juveniles. ARQiv is used here to quantify changes in: 1) Cell number; loss and regeneration of two different fluorescently tagged cell types (pancreatic beta cells and rod photoreceptors), 2) Cell signaling; relative activity of a transgenic Notch-signaling reporter, and 3) Cell metabolism; accumulation of reactive oxygen species. In summary, ARQiv is a versatile and readily accessible approach facilitating evaluation of genetic and/or chemical manipulations in living zebrafish that complements current “high-content” whole-organism screening methods by providing a first-tier in vivo HTS drug discovery platform