Wortmannin enhances CPP32-like activity during neuronal differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells induced by retinoic acid

P19 EC cells undergoes apoptosis during neuronal differentiation induced by retinoic acid. Two CPP32-like proteases, CPP32 and Mch-3, are expressed in untreated and retinoic acid-treated P19 EC cells. CPP32-like activity is remarkably increased in apoptosis during neuronal differentiation of P19 EC cells. Inhibition of CPP32-like proteases prevents apoptosis, suggesting that activation of CPP32-like proteases play central roles in the apoptosis during neuronal differentiation of P19 EC cells. Wortmannin, PI-3K inhibitor, enhances the CPP32-like activity of the retinoic acid-treated P19 EC cells. PI-3K may be involved in the apoptosis during neuronal differentiation as negative regulator.     

Analysis of amyloid deposition in a transgenic mouse model of homozygous familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy

Amyloid fibrils derived from the Japanese, Portuguese, and Swedish types of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy all consist of a variant transthyretin (TTR) with a substitution of methionine for valine at position 30 (TTR Met 30). In an attempt to establish an animal model of TTR Met-30-associated homozygous familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy and to study the structural and functional properties of human TTR Met 30, we generated a mouse line carrying a null mutation at the endogenous ttr locus (ttr-/-) and the human mutant ttr gene (6.0-hMet 30) as a transgene. In these mice, human TTR Met-30-derived amyloid deposits were first observed in the esophagus and stomach when the mice were 11 months of age. With advancing age, amyloid deposits extended to various other tissues. Because no significant difference was detected in the onset, progression, and tissue distribution of amyloid deposition between the ttr-/- and ttr+/+ transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30, endogenous normal mouse TTR probably does not affect the deposition of human TTR Met-30-derived amyloid in mice. TTR is a tetramer composed of four identical subunits that binds thyroxine (T4) and plasma retinol-binding protein. The introduction of 6.0-hMet 30 into the ttr-/- mice significantly increased their depressed serum levels of T4 and retinol-binding protein, suggesting that human TTR Met 30 binds T4 and retinol-binding protein in vivo. The T4-binding ability of human TTR Met 30 was confirmed by the analysis of T4-binding proteins in the sera of ttr-/- transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30. The T4-binding studies also demonstrated the presence of hybrid tetramers between mouse and human TTR subunits in the ttr+/+ transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30.     

An acoustic micrometer and its application to layer thickness measurements

The principle and system of the acoustic micrometer are described. Its basic performance, with respect to the stability, accuracy, spatial resolution, and temperature dependence, is also discussed. Gold layers electroplated on substrates of 42% Ni-Fe alloy were taken as test specimens in the present study. The measurable range of the thickness for gold layers covered from 1 to 20 mum when a frequency range of 10-200 MHz was used. Stability and accuracy were achieved to within +/-0.2% and +/-1%, respectively.     

Excitation of plate waves in thickness measurements of layers deposited on thin plates

Layer thickness measurements with an acoustic micrometer using pseudo-Sezawa waves in which ultrasonic waves are obliquely applied to a layered surface of a specimen have been proposed. A case in which the plate thickness of the specimen is so thin that it cannot be regarded as a half space is studied. A number of modes of plate waves are then excited in addition to pseudo-Sezawa waves. The plate waves, giving rise to the appearance of extra dips in the power spectrum of reflected waves, cause difficulties in the measurements. To prevent the excitation of plate waves, it is proposed that a mask of a sound-insulating material with a slit aperture should be placed on the layered surface of the specimen. Experiments and theoretical calculations, using lead frames of LSI chips as typical test specimens with thin substrates, were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method in preventing the excitation of plate waves.     

Shock consolidation of diamond powders

Fine and coarse diamond powders were shock-compacted at peak pressures of 77, 90, and 108 GPa. The densification and consolidation mechanisms of diamond powders under shock compression were investigated. The densification behaviour of the diamond powders depended strongly on the particle size of the starting materials. Fine diamond powders were densified primarily by plastic deformation, while coarse diamond powders were densified mainly by particle fracture. The relative densities of the compacted diamond samples increased with an increase in the initial particle size of the diamond and with shock pressure. The consolidation mechanism of the diamond powders under shock compression was closely related to the densification mechanism, and depended on the initial particle size of the diamond. At a shock pressure of 90 GPa, particle sizes of 2 to 4 m grade and 10 to 20 m grade were desirable as the starting material in order to produce well-bonded diamond compacts. Diamond compacts having microhardness values over 80 GPa were obtained from 2 to 4 m grade and 10 to 20 m grade diamond powders at a shock pressure of 90 G Pa, and their relative densities were 88.5% and 91.0%, respectively.     

Catalysis of gasification of coal-derived cokes and chars

Calcium is the most important in-situ catalyst for gasification of US coal chars in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O. It is a poor catalyst for gasification of chars by H₂. Potassium and sodium added to low-rank coals by ion exchange and high-rank coals by impregnation are excellent catalysts for char gasification in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O. Carbon monoxide inhibits catalysis of the CH₂O reaction by calcium, potassium and sodium; H₂ inhibits catalysis by calcium. Thus injection of synthesis gas into the gasifier will inhibit the CH₂O reaction. Iron is not an important catalyst for the gasification of chars in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O, because it is invariably in the oxidized state. Carbon monoxide disproportionates to deposit carbon from a dry synthesis gas mixture (3 vol H₂ + 1 vol CO) over potassium-, sodium- and iron-loaded lignite char and a raw bituminous coal char, high in pyrite, at 1123 K and 0.1 MPa pressure. The carbon is highly reactive, with the injection of 2.7 kPa H₂O to the synthesis gas resulting in net carbon gasification. The effect of traces of sulphur in the gas stream on catalysis of gasification or carbon-forming reactions by calcium, potassium, or sodium is not well understood at present. Traces of sulphur do, however, inhibit catalysis by iron.     

Allelopathic Effects of Volatile Monoterpenoids Produced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvia leucophylla</Emphasis>: Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and DNA Synthesis in the Root Apical Meristem of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica campestris</Emphasis> Seedlings

Salvia leucophylla, a shrub observed in coastal south California, produces several volatile monoterpenoids (camphor, 1,8-cineole, -pinene, -pinene, and camphene) that potentially act as allelochemicals. The effects of these were examined using Brassica campestris as the test plant. Camphor, 1,8-cineole, and -pinene inhibited germination of B. campestris seeds at high concentrations, whereas -pinene and camphene did not. Root growth was inhibited by all five monoterpenoids in a dose-dependent manner, but hypocotyl growth was largely unaffected. The monoterpenoids did not alter the sizes of matured cells in either hypocotyls or roots, indicating that cell expansion is relatively insensitive to these compounds. They did not decrease the mitotic index in the shoot apical region, but specifically lowered mitotic index in the root apical meristem. Moreover, morphological and biochemical analyses on the incorporation of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine into DNA demonstrated that the monoterpenoids inhibit both cell-nuclear and organelle DNA synthesis in the root apical meristem. These results suggest that the monoterpenoids produced by S. leucophylla could interfere with the growth of other plants in its vicinity through inhibition of cell proliferation in the root apical meristem.     

A novel architecture of dynamically reconfigurable fused multiply–adder for digital signal processing

Introduction

Multiply-accumulate operation is the most fundamental operation in digital signal processing for image processing, robotics and automatic control. In this paper, a novel architecture of dynamically reconfigurable fused multiply-adder (FMA) is proposed.

Methods

Dynamic reconfiguration is a method that can change the circuit configuration without stop of operation. The proposed circuit provides the following four calculation modes by dynamic reconfiguration: (1) complex number FMA mode, (2) real number FMA mode, (3) complex number parallel calculation mode, and (4) real number parallel calculation mode.  The data format is single precision floating point format based on IEEE754. The proposed circuit was designed using Verilog-HDL. It was simulated by logic circuit simulator, and implemented on FPGA.

Result

As a result of circuit synthesis, we confirmed the reduction of resource in the proposed circuit. Furthermore, we confirmed proper result for each calculation mode by logic simulation and experiment on FPGA.

Conclusion

The proposed circuit provides the four calculation modes by dynamic reconfiguration. We confirmed the reduction of resource and proper result for each calculation mode.     

Effects of growth temperature on the fatty acid composition of the free-living nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans

The effects of growth temperature on the fatty acid compositions of the phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and total lipid (TL) fractions of the free-living nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans were investigated. A reduction in growth temperature from 25 to 15°C caused the proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid (20∶5n-3) to increase from 23.6 to 32.5% in the PC, from 7.4 to 10.8% in the PE, and from 12.9 to 19.9% in the TL fractions. Conversely, the levels of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20∶3n-6) and arachidonic acid (20∶4n-6) in these phospholipid fractions and the TL fraction both decreased with decreasing growth temperature. Analysis of the positional distribution of fatty acids in the PC fraction revealed that the change in the composition of C₂₀ polyunsaturated fatty acid was obvious in positionsn-2. Lowering the growth temperature induced an increase in the level of the diacyl subclass of PE from 58% at 25°C to 71% at 15°C, with a concomitant decrease in the levels of the alkylacyl and alkenylacyl subclass of PE ofC. elegans. These changes observed in the phospholipids ofC. elegans might be one mechanism for adaptation to low temperature. Lipids 31, 1173–1178 (1996).     

Evaluation of environmentally friendly lubricants for cold forging

The authors proposed double-layer-type environmentally friendly lubricants, which were composed of an undercoat, superior in adhering to a material, and an overcoat, superior in reducing the friction between the material and the die. The performance of these lubricants for cold forging was evaluated by the ring compression test, the combined forward rod-backward can extrusion-type friction test and the combined forward conical can-backward straight can extrusion-type friction test. The double-layer-type lubricants showed comparable friction characteristics and anti-pick-up properties to a conversion coating lubricant, when the film thickness and surface treatment before coating were improved. In a practical application by cold multistage forging, the double-layer-type lubricants showed a similar performance to a conversion coating lubricant.