Effect of varying amino acid levels on protein metabolism in nephrotic rats during total parenteral nutrition

In an attempt to determine appropriate diet in nephrotic syndrome, nephrotic rats, induced by puromycin aminonucleoside, were nourished by total parenteral nutrition fluid containing the same energy, but three different levels (1.65, 3.3, and 6.6%) of amino acids for 7 d. The fractional rate of total protein synthesis in the liver was determined by injecting a flooding dose of [3H]phenylalanine. The proportion of newly synthesized proteins retained and exported by the liver was estimated by injecting a tracer dose of [14C]leucine and then measuring the protein radioactivity remaining in the liver and present in the plasma after secretion was completed. Nephrotic animals synthesized more protein than control animals. Although the absolute synthesis rates of total protein in liver were increased with increasing amino acid administration, the absolute rates of synthesis of albumin were higher in the 3.3% group than in the other groups in nephrotic rats. However, kidney protein synthesis in nephrotic rats was higher in the 1.65% group than in the 3.3% group. Interestingly, the 3.3% group revealed the smallest urinary excretion of total protein and albumin. In addition, in the 3.3% group, plasma concentrations of total protein and albumin were higher, and plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride were lower than in other groups. It was concluded that the 3.3% group, corresponding to a normal protein diet, has the greatest salutary effect on urinary protein excretion, followed by protein and lipid metabolism, in nephrotic rats. Not only protein intake but also the energy:protein ratio are important for diet therapy in nephrotic animals. The technique of total parenteral nutrition may be useful in defining the factors involved in glomerular permeability or permselectivity and intracellular protein metabolism.     

Tensile properties of natural fibers with variation in cross-sectional area

Natural fiber-reinforced green composites are increasingly being used in various industries. Generally speaking, the cross sections of natural fibers are not circular. Moreover, they show wide variation in their cross-sectional area. Nevertheless, the tensile properties of natural fibers are often evaluated on the assumption of a circular cross-sectional shape. Therefore, we proposed a new method to calculate the natural fiber cross-sectional area by measuring their projection widths to estimate the proper tensile properties. This method was used to investigate the effects of cross-sectional area variation on tensile properties. Additionally, to estimate the proper Weibull parameters of natural fibers apart from the cross-sectional area variation, we proposed a strength distribution function that incorporates cross-sectional area variation, based on a Weibull distribution. Finally, we formulated a strength distribution function of natural fibers that includes the cross-sectional area variation.     

Stress–strain behavior of cold-drawn isotactic polypropylene subjected to various drawn histories

Uniaxial tensile properties of cold-drawn isotactic polypropylenes (iPP) subjected to various drawn histories were investigated to elucidate the molecular origin of strain-hardening in the uniaxial stress–strain behavior of semicrystalline polymers. Two series of Ziegler–Natta catalyzed iPP with a wide range of crystallinities and metallocene catalyzed iPP with a wide range of molecular weights were used in this study. We propose a tie molecular model which assumes that tie-chains anchored in adjacent crystalline lamellae are expanded into tautness, and the taut tie-chains are pulled out from the crystalline lamellae within the lamellar units. On the basis of this model, we derive a universal constitutive equation for various cold-drawn iPPs subjected to various drawn histories.     

Analytic Self-Consistent Condensates in Quasi-1D Superfluid Fermi Gases in the Andreev Approximation

We present an analytic method to approach Eilenberger equation and the associated Bogoliubov–de Gennes equation for quasi-1D fermionic gases. The problem of finding self-consistent inhomogeneous condensates is reduced to solving a certain class of nonlinear Schrödinger equations, whose most general solitonic solution is indeed available. Previously known solutions can be retrieved by taking appropriate limits in the parameters. The applicability of the method extends to systems with population imbalance and subject to external potential. In particular we show that fermionic zero-modes are robust against population imbalance.     

Measurement of MKID Performance with High-Speed and Wide-Band Readout System

Microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) are being developed at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan to enable precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background. One of the features of MKIDs is scalability using a frequency-division multiplexing (FDMUX) readout scheme. A digital fast fourier transform spectrometer (FFTS) is a good way to read out a number of resonance frequencies simultaneously and fully utilize the advantage of FDMUX of MKIDs. We have developed FFTS readout electronics using an ADC/DAC with 1 Gsps (sample per second) sampling rate and 270 MHz bandwidth. We measured the noise characteristics of a single MKID in the frequency range of 60 Hz–30 kHz with this readout system, and found the noise was almost equivalent to the noise measured by ordinary analog IQ down-converter readout. This indicates our FFTS electronics do not add any additional noise to the MKID readout system over the frequency range.     

Close-Packed Silicon Lens Antennas for Millimeter-Wave MKID Camera

We have been developing a large-format millimeter-wave camera based on lens-antenna-coupled microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) for a planned telescope at Dome Fuji (3810 m a.s.l.), Antarctica. Optical coupling to the MKID incorporates double-slot antennas and a silicon lens array. To realize a large-format camera ( \(>\) 10,000 pixels), a highly integrated small-diameter lens array and fast optics are required. Lens diameters of 1.2, 2, and 3 times the target wavelength are investigated for the main beam symmetry, side-lobe level, cross-polarization level, and bandwidth, considering the effects of the surrounding lenses. In this study, we present the simulated beam pattern profiles of close-packed lens antenna and the effect of misalignment between the silicon lens and double-slot antenna. We also show the evaluations of the developed 721-pixel close-packed silicon lens array.     

Assessment of the expression of p53, MIB-1 (Ki-67 antigen), and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions in carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct

Group B streptococci (GBS) are an important cause of neonatal sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. In the early phase of infection, macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) are the first immune cells that interact with GBS. In this in vitro study, to gain insight into GBS-macrophage interaction in the absence of type-specific antibodies, we examined the features of GBS survival in thioglycollate-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages and the effect of GBS on the protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent transduction pathway. Our results demonstrate that type Ia GBS, strain 090 (GBS-Ia) and type III GBS strain COH 31r/s (GBS-III), after in vitro phagocytosis survive and persist intracellularly in macrophages for up to 24 and 48 hr, respectively. However, macrophage activation by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli (LPS) caused a significant reduction in the time of intracellular persistence. Macrophage activation by IFN-gamma and LPS seems to be a multifactorial event involving multiple intracellular signal pathways also including PKC. Since PKC is one of the components in the signal network leading to macrophage activation and an important target for several intracellular micro-organisms, we wondered whether PKC could have a role in intracellular GBS survival. Both PKC depletion by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 18 hr and PKC inhibition by Calphostin C rendered macrophages more permissive for the intracellular GBS survival. Furthermore, GBS-infected macrophages were unable to respond to PMA and LPS, activators of PKC, by inducing antimicrobial activity. The ability of GBS to impair PKC-dependent cell signalling was also demonstrated by the reduced c-fos gene expression in GBS-infected macrophages with respect to control macrophages, after LPS stimulation. In conclusion, our results indicate that GBS survive in macrophages and impairment of PKC signal transduction contributes to their intracellular survival.     

Flow cytometric detection of proliferative cells in leukemias

An FAD-containing monooxygenase (EC 1.14.13.8) was purified from porcine liver microsomes by a new purification procedure and confirmed to give an electrophoretically single protein band. The optical and CD spectra, fluorescence and molar extinction coefficients of the FMO were investigated. The activity of the FMO was examined kinetically with neurotoxins, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ), and 1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline (MDTIQ), as substrates. The kinetic parameters of the FMO for the neurotoxins, molecular oxygen and electron donors were determined, in comparison with those of dimethylaniline. The CD spectrum of the FMO was measured in the absence and presence of NADP+, dimethylaniline or both. The results showed that the FMO metabolized the neurotoxins, and that NADH was a weak electron donor for it. The CD spectrum of the FMO in the oxidized form, which acts as an oxidase and oxygenase, unlike that of D-amino-acid oxidase, showed negative ellipticity, the secondary structure of the FMO changed, and the alpha-helix structure of the monooxygenase was affected by the formation of a complex of the FMO with NADP+, DMA or both.