Phosphoinositide-dependent regulation of VAN3 ARF-GAP localization and activity essential for vascular tissue continuity in plants

ACAP-type ARF GTPase activating proteins (ARF-GAPs) regulate multiple cellular processes, including endocytosis, secretion, phagocytosis, cell adhesion and cell migration. However, the regulation of ACAP functions by other cellular proteins is poorly understood. We have reported previously that a plant ACAP, VAN3, plays a pivotal role in plant venation continuity. Here, we report on newly identified VAN3 regulators: the CVP2 (cotyledon vascular pattern 2) 5 PTase, which is considered to degrade IP3 and also to produce PtdIns(4) P from PtdIns(4,5) P-2; and a PH domain-containing protein, VAB (VAN3 binding protein). Combinational mutations of both CVP2 and its closest homologue CVL1 (CVP2 like 1) phenocopied the strong allele of van3 mutants, showing severe vascular continuity. The phenotype of double mutants between van3, cvp2 and vab suggested that VAN3, CVP2 and VAB function in vascular pattern formation in the same pathway. Localization analysis revealed that both CVP2 and VAB colocalize with VAN3 in the trans-Golgi network (TGN), supporting their functions in the same pathway. The subcellular localization of VAN3 was dependent on its PH domain, and mislocalization of VAN3 was induced in cvp2 or vab mutants. These results suggest that CVP2 and VAB cooperatively regulate the subcellular localization of VAN3 through the interaction between its PH domain and phosphoinositides and/or inositol phosphates. In addition, PtdIns(4) P, to which VAN3 binds preferentially, enhanced the ARF-GAP activity of VAN3, whereas IP3 inhibited it. These results suggest the existence of PtdIns(4) P and/or IP3-dependent subcellular targeting and regulation of VAN3 ACAP activity that governs plant vascular tissue continuity

Enhancement of the Catalytic Activity Associated with Carbon Deposition Formed on NiO/Al2O3 during the Dehydrogenation of Ethane and Propane

In the recent study, the dehydrogenation of isobutane to isobutene was accomplished using a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, and significant improvement in the time-on-stream yield of isobutene was accomplished. During the normal catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes, the catalyst is covered by the carbon deposition that is generated during the reaction, which drastically reduces activity with time-on-stream. Therefore, no examples of the catalytic dehydrogenation of isobutane have yet been reported. This study used either ethane or propane as a source of isobutane to examine whether the activity was improved with time-on-stream. As a result, in the dehydrogenations of both ethane and propane on a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, the catalytic activity decreased with time-on-stream when the supporting amounts of NiO was small. By contrast, when the supporting amount of NiO was large, the catalytic activity improved with time-on-stream. The results using a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with small and large NiO loadings were similar to those of isobutane dehydrogenation and it was confirmed that the dehydrogenation activity was improved with time-on-stream in the catalytic dehydrogenations of ethane, propane, and isobutane using large NiO loadings. Intermediate behavior using a moderate amount of NiO loading, which was not detected in the dehydrogenation of isobutane, was also observed, which resulted in a maximum yield of either ethylene or propylene at 2.0 or 3.25 h on-stream, respectively. We concluded that the reason the catalytic activity did not improve with time-on-stream when using a NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was because the supporting amount of NiO was too small. These results show that activity with time-on-stream could also be improved in the dehydrogenations of other alkanes

サッカーPK戦におけるゲーム理論上の最適戦略とプロの戦略との差異に関する考察

人や企業は様々な条件下で最適な行動を取るのだろうか．取らないのであればそれはなぜか．その原因を求めることは，実際の個人・企業等の理解を大きく助ける．また，ゲーム理論はスポーツや経済学そしてその他の社会科学の理解に大きく関わってきた．本研究は比較的データが集めやすく混合戦略を適用できるサッカーのPK戦に注目し，独自の確率を考慮した利得表を作成した．その利得表を用いてPK戦におけるキッカーの最適戦略を求め，最適戦略と実際の戦略とのズレを明らかにした．そのズレの原因を求める為にデータセット内の各データ項目についての確率分布を比較するというアプローチをした．データはインターネット動画サイトより収集した，プロ選手による2001年〜2017年の間の世界各国のPK戦150試合（計1539人分）を使用した．実験結果として，最適戦略と実際の戦略との間にズレが存在することが分かった．またそのズレには国籍・スコア差の関与が示唆された．その結果から，サッカーPK戦における最適戦略と実際の戦略との間におけるズレの原因を推定した．本手法はスポーツ分野以外への応用も期待できる

Precipitation during γ-ε Phase Transformation in Biomedical Co-Cr-Mo Alloys Fabricated by Electron Beam Melting

We studied the precipitates that were induced during γ-ε phase transformation in biomedical Co-28Cr-6Mo (mass%) alloys that were fabricated by electron beam melting with carbon contents of 0.184 and 0.018 mass%. In the high-C as-built alloy, M23X6-type, π-phase (M3T2X-type), and η-phase (M6X-M12X-type) precipitates were observed (M and T: metallic elements, X: C and/or N). σ-phase (Co(Cr,Mo)), π-phase, and Co3Mo2Si-type precipitates were observed in the low-C as-built alloy. This is the first report that shows the presence and chemical composition of this precipitate, as the Co3Mo2Si-type precipitate has not been detected in biomedical Co-Cr-Mo alloys before. After aging in the ε-phase stability region, the high-C and low-C alloys both contained a single ε-phase matrix, and the amount of π-phase precipitates increased. Conversely, the amount of π-phase precipitates in both alloys decreased when a reverse transformation treatment was applied in the γ-phase stability region after aging. In the low-C alloy, the amount of Co3Mo2Si-type precipitates increased after reverse transformation treatment. These results indicate that the dissolution of π-phase precipitates and the formation of Co3Mo2Si-type precipitates during reverse transformation promote the formation of fine γ-phase grains at the precipitate/ε-phase matrix interface, because the formation and dissolution of these precipitates affect the γ-phase stability of the matrix

Low springback and low Young’s modulus in Ti-29-Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr alloy modified by Mo addition

Deformation-induced higher Young’s modulus can satisfy the contradictory requirements of Ti alloys for spinal-fixation applications, which demand a high Young’s modulus to reduce springback during operations and a low Young’s modulus to prevent stress shielding effect for patients after surgeries. In this study, TNTZ-(1, 3, 5)Mo are designed by adding Mo and Ti to Ti-29-Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr (TNTZ) in order to maintain low initial Young’s modulus and achieve low springback. All the solutionized alloys show single β phase with increasing the β stability by Mo addition. They show low Young’s moduli less than 65 GPa, similar ultimate tensile strength of 650 MPa and elongation around 20%. The springback of TNTZ-3Mo and TNTZ-5Mo is lower than that of TNTZ and TNTZ-1Mo owing to their more stable β phase. After cold rolling, TNTZ-3Mo shows the largest increasing ratio of 25% in Young’s modulus and the highest ultimate tensile strength owning to the appearance of deformation-induced ω phase. With the low initial Young’s modulus of 59 GPa, TNTZ-3Mo is a potential candidate to make the spinal rods in spinal fixation devices.Li Q., Qi Q., Li J., et al. Low springback and low Young’s modulus in Ti-29-Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr alloy modified by Mo addition. Materials Transactions 60, 1755 (2019); https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.ME201912

Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration for the Diagnosis of Intrathoracic Lesions : Experience of a Single Academic Medical Center

Article信州医学雑誌 60(5): 249-255(2012)journal articl

ジョシガクセイ ニオケル タイリョク テスト ノ ソウゴウ ヒョウカ ダンカイベツ ニミタ 30mソウ オヨビ タイカク タイソセイ シヒョウ ノ ソウイ

本研究の目的は,女子学生を対象に,体力テストの総合評価段階別に30m 走タイムおよび体格・体組成指標を比較し,健康教育に資する基礎的知見を得ることであった.検討の結果,30m 走タイムにおいて,A 段階群はC 段階群,E 段階群よりも有意に速く,D 段階群よりも有意に速い傾向を示した.E 段階群はA 段階群,B 段階群,C 段階群よりも有意に遅かった.また,体格・体組成指標においては群間でほとんど有意な差は認められなかった.The purpose of this study was to obtain fundamental knowledge for health education by comparing 30m sprint time and index of physique, body composition from the level of total evaluation of physical test in femalestudents. As a result, A level group was significantly faster than C and E level group, and it appeared to be significant tendency of faster than D level group in 30m sprint time. Furthermore, there was hardly no significant difference between the groups in the index of physique, body composition