The Infrared Camera (IRC) for AKARI - Design and Imaging Performance

The Infrared Camera (IRC) is one of two focal-plane instruments on the AKARI satellite. It is designed for wide-field deep imaging and low-resolution spectroscopy in the near- to mid-infrared (1.8--26.5um) in the pointed observation mode of AKARI. IRC is also operated in the survey mode to make an all-sky survey at 9 and 18um. It comprises three channels. The NIR channel (1.8--5.5um) employs a 512 x 412 InSb array, whereas both the MIR-S (4.6--13.4um) and MIR-L (12.6--26.5um) channels use 256 x 256 Si:As impurity band conduction arrays. Each of the three channels has a field-of-view of about 10' x 10' and are operated simultaneously. The NIR and MIR-S share the same field-of-view by virtue of a beam splitter. The MIR-L observes the sky about $25' away from the NIR/MIR-S field-of-view. IRC gives us deep insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, the evolution of planetary disks, the process of star-formation, the properties of interstellar matter under various physical conditions, and the nature and evolution of solar system objects. The in-flight performance of IRC has been confirmed to be in agreement with the pre-flight expectation. This paper summarizes the design and the in-flight operation and imaging performance of IRC.Comment: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, in pres

Construction of the free energy landscape by the density functional theory

On the basis of the density functional theory, we give a clear definition of the free energy landscape. To show the usefulness of the definition, we construct the free energy landscape for rearrangement of atoms in an FCC crystal of hard spheres. In this description, the cooperatively rearranging region (CRR) is clealy related to the hard spheres involved in the saddle between two adjacent basins. A new concept of the simultaneously rearranging region (SRR) emerges naturally as spheres defined by the difference between two adjacent basins. We show that the SRR and the CRR can be determined explicitly from the free energylandscape.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Toeplitz operators with radial symbols on weighted holomorphic Orlicz space

Peer reviewe

Apoptosis, autophagy and ER stress in mevalonate cascade inhibition-induced cell death of human atrial fibroblasts

3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are cholesterol-lowering drugs that exert other cellular effects and underlie their beneficial health effects, including those associated with myocardial remodeling. We recently demonstrated that statins induces apoptosis and autophagy in human lung mesenchymal cells. Here, we extend our knowledge showing that statins simultaneously induces activation of the apoptosis, autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR) in primary human atrial fibroblasts (hATF). Thus we tested the degree to which coordination exists between signaling from mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes during response to simvastatin exposure. Pharmacologic blockade of the activation of ER-dependent cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease (caspase)-4 and lysosomal cathepsin-B and -L significantly decreased simvastatin-induced cell death. Simvastatin altered total abundance and the mitochondrial fraction of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins, while c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase mediated effects on B-cell lymphoma 2 expression. Chemical inhibition of autophagy flux with bafilomycin-A1 augmented simvastatin-induced caspase activation, UPR and cell death. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts that are deficient in autophagy protein 5 and refractory to autophagy induction, caspase-7 and UPR were hyper-induced upon treatment with simvastatin. These data demonstrate that mevalonate cascade inhibition-induced death of hATF manifests from a complex mechanism involving co-regulation of apoptosis, autophagy and UPR. Furthermore, autophagy has a crucial role in determining the extent of ER stress, UPR and permissiveness of hATF to cell death induced by statins

Methamphetamine induces endoplasmic reticulum stress related gene CHOP/Gadd153/ddit3 in dopaminergic cells

We examined the toxicity of methamphetamine and dopamine in CATH.a cells, which were derived from mouse dopamine-producing neural cells in the central nervous system. Use of the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that transcripts of the endoplasmic reticulum stress related gene (CHOP/Gadd153/ddit3) were considerably induced at 24–48 h after methamphetamine administration (but only under apoptotic conditions), whereas dopamine slightly induced CHOP/Gadd153/ddit3 transcripts at an early stage. We also found that dopamine and methamphetamine weakly induced transcripts for the glucose-regulated protein 78 gene (Grp78/Bip) at the early stage. Analysis by immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated an increase of　CHOP/Gadd153/ddit3 and Grp78/Bip proteins at 24 h after methamphetamine administration. Treatment of CATH.a cells with methamphetamine caused a re-distribution of dopamine inside the cells, which mimicked the presynaptic activity of neurons with cell bodies located in the ventral tegmental area or the substantia nigra. Thus, we have demonstrated the existence of endoplasmic reticulum stress in a model of presynaptic dopaminergic neurons for the first time. Together with the recent evidence suggesting the importance of presynaptic toxicity, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of dopamine toxicity, which might represent one of the most important mechanisms of methamphetamine toxicity and addiction

Quantitative assessment of harmonic power doppler myocardial perfusion imaging with intravenous levovist™ in patients with myocardial infarction: comparison with myocardial viability evaluated by coronary flow reserve and coronary flow pattern of infarct-related artery

BACKGROUND: Myocardial contrast echocardiography and coronary flow velocity pattern with a rapid diastolic deceleration time after percutaneous coronary intervention has been reported to be useful in assessing microvascular damage in patients with acute myocardial infarction. AIM: To evaluate myocardial contrast echocardiography with harmonic power Doppler imaging, coronary flow velocity reserve and coronary artery flow pattern in predicting functional recovery by using transthoracic echocardiography. METHODS: Thirty patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction underwent myocardial contrast echocardiography at rest and during hyperemia and were quantitatively analyzed by the peak color pixel intensity ratio of the risk area to the control area (PIR). Coronary flow pattern was measured using transthoracic echocardiography in the distal portion of left anterior descending artery within 24 hours after recanalization and we assessed deceleration time of diastolic flow velocity. Coronary flow velocity reserve was calculated two weeks after acute myocardial infarction. Left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and ejection fraction by angiography were computed. RESULTS: Pts were divided into 2 groups according to the deceleration time of coronary artery flow pattern (Group A; 20 pts with deceleration time ≧ 600 msec, Group B; 10 pts with deceleration time < 600 msec). In acute phase, there were no significant differences in left ventricular end-diastolic volume and ejection fraction (Left ventricular end-diastolic volume 112 ± 33 vs. 146 ± 38 ml, ejection fraction 50 ± 7 vs. 45 ± 9 %; group A vs. B). However, left ventricular end-diastolic volume in Group B was significantly larger than that in Group A (192 ± 39 vs. 114 ± 30 ml, p < 0.01), and ejection fraction in Group B was significantly lower than that in Group A (39 ± 9 vs. 52 ± 7%, p < 0.01) at 6 months. PIR and coronary flow velocity reserve of Group A were higher than Group B (PIR, at rest: 0.668 ± 0.178 vs. 0.248 ± 0.015, p < 0.0001: during hyperemia 0.725 ± 0.194 vs. 0.295 ± 0.107, p < 0.0001; coronary flow velocity reserve, 2.60 ± 0.80 vs. 1.31 ± 0.29, p = 0.0002, respectively). CONCLUSION: The preserved microvasculature detecting by myocardial contrast echocardiography and coronary flow velocity reserve is related to functional recovery after acute myocardial infarction

Apelin Deficiency Accelerates the Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. Recent studies have implicated that chronic hypoxia and insufficient vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent neuroprotection may lead to the degeneration of motor neurons in ALS. Expression of apelin, an endogenous ligand for the G protein-coupled receptor APJ, is regulated by hypoxia. In addition, recent reports suggest that apelin protects neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Here, we examined whether apelin is an endogenous neuroprotective factor using SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. In mouse CNS tissues, the highest expressions of both apelin and APJ mRNAs were detected in spinal cord. APJ immunoreactivity was observed in neuronal cell bodies located in gray matter of spinal cord. Although apelin mRNA expression in the spinal cord of wild-type mice was not changed from 4 to 18 weeks age, that of SOD1G93A mice was reduced along with the paralytic phenotype. In addition, double mutant apelin-deficient and SOD1G93A displayed the disease phenotypes earlier than SOD1G93A littermates. Immunohistochemical observation revealed that the number of motor neurons was decreased and microglia were activated in the spinal cord of the double mutant mice, indicating that apelin deficiency pathologically accelerated the progression of ALS. Furthermore, we showed that apelin enhanced the protective effect of VEGF on H2O2-induced neuronal death in primary neurons. These results suggest that apelin/APJ system in the spinal cord has a neuroprotective effect against the pathogenesis of ALS

OsLIC, a Novel CCCH-Type Zinc Finger Protein with Transcription Activation, Mediates Rice Architecture via Brassinosteroids Signaling

Rice architecture is an important agronomic trait and a major limiting factor for its high productivity. Here we describe a novel CCCH-type zinc finger gene, OsLIC (Oraza sativa leaf and tiller angle increased controller), which is involved in the regulation of rice plant architecture. OsLIC encoded an ancestral and unique CCCH type zinc finge protein. It has many orthologous in other organisms, ranging from yeast to humane. Suppression of endogenous OsLIC expression resulted in drastically increased leaf and tiller angles, shortened shoot height, and consequently reduced grain production in rice. OsLIC is predominantly expressed in rice collar and tiller bud. Genetic analysis suggested that OsLIC is epistatic to d2-1, whereas d61-1 is epistatic to OsLIC. Interestingly, sterols were significantly higher in level in transgenic shoots than in the wild type. Genome-wide expression analysis indicated that brassinosteroids (BRs) signal transduction was activated in transgenic lines. Moreover, transcription of OsLIC was induced by 24-epibrassinolide. OsLIC, with a single CCCH motif, displayed binding activity to double-stranded DNA and single-stranded polyrA, polyrU and polyrG but not polyrC. It contains a novel conserved EELR domain among eukaryotes and displays transcriptional activation activity in yeast. OsLIC may be a transcription activator to control rice plant architecture

DEM of triaxial tests on crushable cemented sand

Using the discrete element method, triaxial simulations of cemented sand consisting of crushable particles are presented. The triaxial model used features a flexible membrane, allowing realistic deformation to occur, and cementation is modelled using inter-particle bonds. The effects of particle crushing are explored, as is the influence of cementation on the behaviour of the soil. An insight to the effects that cementation has on the degree of crushing is presented

New genomic resources for switchgrass: a BAC library and comparative analysis of homoeologous genomic regions harboring bioenergy traits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Switchgrass, a C4 species and a warm-season grass native to the prairies of North America, has been targeted for development into an herbaceous biomass fuel crop. Genetic improvement of switchgrass feedstock traits through marker-assisted breeding and biotechnology approaches calls for genomic tools development. Establishment of integrated physical and genetic maps for switchgrass will accelerate mapping of value added traits useful to breeding programs and to isolate important target genes using map based cloning. The reported polyploidy series in switchgrass ranges from diploid (2X = 18) to duodecaploid (12X = 108). Like in other large, repeat-rich plant genomes, this genomic complexity will hinder whole genome sequencing efforts. An extensive physical map providing enough information to resolve the homoeologous genomes would provide the necessary framework for accurate assembly of the switchgrass genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A switchgrass BAC library constructed by partial digestion of nuclear DNA with <it>Eco</it>RI contains 147,456 clones covering the effective genome approximately 10 times based on a genome size of 3.2 Gigabases (~1.6 Gb effective). Restriction digestion and PFGE analysis of 234 randomly chosen BACs indicated that 95% of the clones contained inserts, ranging from 60 to 180 kb with an average of 120 kb. Comparative sequence analysis of two homoeologous genomic regions harboring orthologs of the rice <it>OsBRI1 </it>locus, a low-copy gene encoding a putative protein kinase and associated with biomass, revealed that orthologous clones from homoeologous chromosomes can be unambiguously distinguished from each other and correctly assembled to respective fingerprint contigs. Thus, the data obtained not only provide genomic resources for further analysis of switchgrass genome, but also improve efforts for an accurate genome sequencing strategy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The construction of the first switchgrass BAC library and comparative analysis of homoeologous harboring <it>OsBRI1 </it>orthologs present a glimpse into the switchgrass genome structure and complexity. Data obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using HICF fingerprinting to resolve the homoeologous chromosomes of the two distinct genomes in switchgrass, providing a robust and accurate BAC-based physical platform for this species. The genomic resources and sequence data generated will lay the foundation for deciphering the switchgrass genome and lead the way for an accurate genome sequencing strategy.</p