The Constitution of Japan: An Unfinished Revolution

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Application of EQ bond coat to EB-PVD TBC systems

To prevent the formation of SRZ in the log-time high-temperature exposure of the turbine blades, thermodynamically equilibrium phase such as gamma-prime phase of the substrate is use as an oxidation-resistant bond coat. The previous study clarified that this EQ coating shows excellent interface stability and it does not degrade mechanical strength due to the SRZ formation. In this study, TBC life test of EB-PVD ceramics coated EQ coating is investigated with other conventional MCrAlY coatings. The 4th and 5th generation superalloys are used for substrates. About 150 μm thick of EQ coating, conventional NiCoCrAlY and CoNiCrAlY coating are deposited by LPPS and HVOF on the substrates. After polishing the surface of deposited bond coat, specimens are pre-oxidized in the EB-PVD chamber in 0.2 Pa of oxygen partial pressure. 150 μm thick of YSZ is deposited by EB-PVD on the pre-oxidized bond coat, following the pre-oxidation. Samples are heat treated cyclically in an electric furnace at 1135 °C with 1 h cycles. Fast cooling rate is obtained by air blow with each cooling cycle. As a result, it is found that TBC life of LPPS EQ-coated TMS-138A showed over twice of other conventional bond coats. Interrupted and failed samples are observed by SEM and EPMA. The differences of bond coats and its deposition processes in the microstructure, TGO growth and TBC life are discussed. On the other hand, oxidation characteristics of YSZ-TBC and EQ bond coated substrate using burner rig developed by NIMS are discussed. And also the recycling of TBC with EQ bond coat is discussed

Is Anti-Müllerian hormone regulated by TGFbeta Superfamily Binding Proteins?

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a gonadal hormone that induces part of the male phenotype. However, it is also present in the blood of both sexes, and is a putative local regulator of adult gonadal function. This suggests that AMH, like other members of the TGFβ superfamily, is a pleiotropic regulator. The TGFβ superfamily ligands share receptors and binding proteins (BPs), leading to context-dependent signaling. AMH is the only ligand with a unique type-2 receptor (AMHR2), but it shares type-1 receptors with other TGFβs. Its ability to interact with other TGFβ superfamily members via common BPs is unknown. This thesis investigated whether TGFβ-superfamily BPs can regulate the activity of AMH. A (BRE)2-Luc reporter gene assay was established to measure AMH signaling, at physiological levels of AMH. The assay was optimized by varying key parameters, such as the cell type and the type of serum, and by refining the critical technical steps. P19 cells were selected in preference to DU145 and LNCaP cells, as they had superior growth characteristics and as the AMH-reporter assay had a higher signal-to-background ratio. P19 cells express AMH type-1 receptors. However, the expression of endogenous AMHR2 by P19 cells was minimal. Transfection of AMHR2 was therefore essential to produce robust AMH signaling by P19 cells. The receptor binding component of AMH (AMHC) and the physiological form of AMH (AMHN,C) both activated the reporter assay, with physiologically-relevant EC50s. The influence of fifteen TGFβ-superfamily BPs on AMH signaling was examined,using multiple screens. The influence of each BP on the AMH dose-response curve was examined, along with their effect on an EC50-like concentration of AMH. AMHC and AMHN,C were both examined, enabling the influence of interactions on both the N and C terminal domains of AMH to be examined. The follistatins (FSs) had the greatest effect on AMH signaling, with their influence being maximal when AMH levels were low (adult circulating-like levels). FS288 appeared to be more potent than FS315. Brorin, decorin and FS-like 4 also caused a statistically significant change in the doseresponse curve. The effect of these BPs were small and were only evident when the concentration of AMHC was low. Little or no effect was observed when the concentration of AMH was close to or above the EC50. Endoglin and chordin-like 2 reduced the bottom (zero AMH) of the dose-response curve, but did not affect the reporter activity produced by AMH. This suggests that endoglin and chordin-like 2 influence the reporter assay through a mechanism that is unrelated to AMH. The assay was designed to detect AMH BPs, and different types of studies will be needed to identify how FS288, FS315, brorin, decorin and/or FS-like 4 affects the functions of AMH in vivo. The other eight BPs tested appeared to have little or no effect on AMH signaling. AMH is partially secreted as an inactive precursor (proAMH), and the bioactivity of AMH in vivo may be influenced by when and where proAMH is cleaved to AMHN,C. BPs potentially influences this process, but none of the BPs examined in the Thesis affected the cleavage of proAMH by one of its putative cleavage enzymes, furin. AMH shares type-1 receptors and the intracellular signaling cascade with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). This raised the possibility that AMH does not always signal as an independent regulator. In some contexts, AMH and BMP may interact to regulate gene expression. Consistent with this, AMH and BMP exhibited redundant or co-operative activation of the reporter, depending on the concentrations of each ligand. This question was largely outside of the scope of this thesis, and further testing of this hypothesis was not undertaken. However, these preliminary observations lay a foundation for the future research directions outlined in Chapter 6. In summary, this thesis presents the first evidence that certain TGFβ-superfamily BPs may influence AMH signaling. FS288 was the most significant of these, and may be most important when AMH levels are low, as in men and women. In vivo experiments are needed to prove this. BPs such as FS288 may integrate the biological actions of AMH with those of other TGFβ-superfamily ligands

Simultaneous measurement of sensor-protein dynamics and motility of a single cell by on-chip microcultivation system

Measurement of the correlation between sensor-protein expression, motility and environmental change is important for understanding the adaptation process of cells during their change of generation. We have developed a novel assay exploiting the on-chip cultivation system, which enabled us to observe the change of the localization of expressed sensor-protein and the motility for generations. Localization of the aspartate sensitive sensor protein at two poles in Escherichia coli decreased quickly after the aspartate was added into the cultivation medium. However, it took more than three generations for recovering the localization after the removal of aspartate from the medium. Moreover, the tumbling frequency was strongly related to the localization of the sensor protein in a cell. The results indicate that the change of the spatial localization of sensor protein, which was inherited for more than three generations, may contribute to cells, motility as the inheritable information

Temperature tuning of the stop band in transmission spectra of liquid-crystal infiltrated synthetic opal as tunable photonic crystal

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Katsumi Yoshino, Yuki Shimoda, Yoshiaki Kawagishi, Keizo Nakayama, and Masanori Ozaki, Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 932 (1999) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.124558

Acetyl-L-carnitine enhances myelination of regenerated fibers of the lateral olfactory tract

It is well known that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) has various neuroprotective effects against neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, it has been reported that ALC facilitates myelination of regenerated axons after peripheral nerve injuries. We previously reported that spontaneous regeneration of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT), the main fiber tract of the central olfactory system, consistently occurred in newborn rats and a majority of these regenerated fibers were unmyelinated in neonatally LOT-transected young adult rats. To investigate the effects of ALC treatment on myelination in LOT, neonatal rats were treated with ALC after LOT transection. Immunohistochemistry for myelin basic protein showed more positive areas in ALC-treated rats than in control rats. Moreover, the number of myelinated axons of regenerated fibers was assessed using electron microscopy and was found to be statistically higher in ALC-treated rats compared to control rats. The study revealed that ALC accelerates myelination of regenerated fibers in neonatally LOT-injured young adult rats. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.ArticleNEUROSCIENCE LETTERS.653:215-219(2017)journal articl

Phototactic and Chemotactic Signal Transduction by Transmembrane Receptors and Transducers in Microorganisms

Microorganisms show attractant and repellent responses to survive in the various environments in which they live. Those phototaxic (to light) and chemotaxic (to chemicals) responses are regulated by membrane-embedded receptors and transducers. This article reviews the following: (1) the signal relay mechanisms by two photoreceptors, Sensory Rhodopsin I (SRI) and Sensory Rhodopsin II (SRII) and their transducers (HtrI and HtrII) responsible for phototaxis in microorganisms; and (2) the signal relay mechanism of a chemoreceptor/transducer protein, Tar, responsible for chemotaxis in E. coli. Based on results mainly obtained by our group together with other findings, the possible molecular mechanisms for phototaxis and chemotaxis are discussed