Mechanism of regulatory target selection by the SOX high-mobility-group domain proteins as revealed by comparison of SOX1/2/3 and SOX9

SOX proteins bind similar DNA motifs through their high-mobility-group (HMG) domains, but their action is highly specific with respect to target genes and cell type. We investigated the mechanism of target selection by comparing SOX1/2/3, which activate delta-crystallin minimal enhancer DC5, with SOX9, which activates Col2a1 minimal enhancer COL2C2. These enhancers depend on both the SOX binding site and the binding site of a putative partner factor. The DC5 site was equally bound and bent by the HMG domains of SOX1/2 and SOX9. The activation domains of these SOX proteins mapped at the distal portions of the C-terminal domains were not cell specific and were independent of the partner factor. Chimeric proteins produced between SOX1 and SOX9 showed that to activate the DC5 enhancer, the C-terminal domain must be that of SOX1, although the HMG domains were replaceable. The SOX2-VP16 fusion protein, in which the activation domain of SOX2 was replaced by that of VP16, activated the DC5 enhancer still in a partner factor-dependent manner. The results argue that the proximal portion of the C-terminal domain of SOX1/2 specifically interacts with the partner factor, and this interaction determines the specificity of the SOX1/2 action. Essentially the same results were obtained in the converse experiments in which COL2C2 activation by SOX9 was analyzed, except that specificity of SOX9-partner factor interaction also involved the SOX9 HMG domain. The highly selective SOX-partner factor interactions presumably stabilize the DNA binding of the SOX proteins and provide the mechanism for regulatory target selection.     

Possible Roles of Calreticulin in Uterine Decidualization and Receptivity in Rats and Humans

Previous in vitro studies have suggested that calreticulin (CALR), which is responsible for the folding and quality control of glycoproteins, may be associated with decidualization. However, its precise role in regulating decidualization has not been explored in vivo. Here, we used pregnant rat models to examine endometrial CALR expression during the peri-implantation period. We also examined whether polypectomy, a procedure that could ameliorate infertility, alters the endometrial expression levels of CALR and several implantation factors in women diagnosed as infertile. In rats, uterine CALR was expressed at a high level at the implantation site, and a marked increase in CALR expression was observed in decidual cells of normal pregnancy. In addition, endometrial CALR expression was enhanced by either administration of estradiol-17β in the delayed implantation rat model or the artificial induction of decidualization in the pseudopregnant rat. In cultured stromal cells, siRNA-mediated silencing of CALR inhibited the decidual stimulus-induced expression of prolactin, decidual/trophoblast prolactin-related protein, and connexin 43. In humans, the endometrial expression levels of the mRNAs encoding CALR and the implantation-related factor insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-7 tended to increase after polypectomy. The strongest positive correlation between expression levels before polypectomy was observed for IGFBP-7 and CALR, and the strength of this correlation increased after the surgery. Thus, endometrial CALR may play a role in the formation of decidua, and the polypectomy of infertile patients may result in the co-operative expression of endometrial factors, including CALR, that could enhance endometrial receptivity.     

Loop current characteristics of a thyristor-controlled series capacitor

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the loop current of a thyristor-controlled series capacitor (TCSC). The knowledge of loop current characteristics is important for understanding analytically the equivalent impedance of TCSC, estimating harmonics produced by TCSC, and determining ratings of the TCSC circuit components. However, little has been written on the loop current of TCSC circuit. Therefore, using a laboratory-scale TCSC installed on a laboratory power system, the TCSC currents and voltages were measured and analyzed to investigate the behavior of loop current. A mathematical model of TCSC was also developed to compare to the experimental results and further clarify the relationship between loop current and steady-state impedance characteristics, including effects of TCSC circuit component size on the characteristics. Capacitor voltage harmonics and their impact on the power system were also investigated. ©1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 125(1): 37–46, 1998     

Effect of a thin insulation film on thermal bubble‐triggered breakdown phenomena in liquid nitrogen

The effect of a thin insulation film on breakdown phenomena in liquid nitrogen in the presence of thermally induced bubbles is investigated with a cylinder‐to‐plane electrode. Bubbles were produced by a heater mounted in the cylinder, which is partially covered with an insulation film. The results show that the film's effect on the breakdown voltage is insignificant until a pore is formed on the film by a previous breakdown, but it becomes substantial after pore formation. The reduction rate in breakdown voltage after the pore formation depends on the gap length and heater power. The minimum breakdown voltage drops to the magnitude of the breakdown voltage in the gaseous phase at normal boiling temperature. The breakdown mechanism is discussed on the basis of bubble observation and numerical calculation of suspended‐bubble motion. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electgr Eng Jpn, 127(4): 18–28, 1999     

Development of high voltage harmonic measuring instruments for distribution systems using optical voltage sensor and current sensor

Application of an optical measuring technique was attempted in order to develop harmonic voltage and current measuring instruments for distribution systems. To develop the harmonic voltage measuring system using a Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ crystal as a sensing Pockels cell for high‐voltage distribution lines, zinc oxide elements were adopted as a voltage divider. Also, an optical current sensor system was improved on the harmonic current measuring system using an R₃Fe₅O₁₂ film as a Faraday device. In practical three‐phase distribution systems, the developed high voltage harmonic measuring devices using the optical voltage sensor and current sensor were compared with conventional harmonic analyzers for low voltage. As a result, it was confirmed that the developed high voltage harmonic measuring devices had satisfactory characteristics for practical use. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 128(4): 84–93, 1999     

功能性发酵剂在发酵香肠中的应用研究进展

发酵香肠因其风味独特、营养丰富、保质期长等优点深受消费者喜爱.近年来,在保证安全性的前提下赋予发酵香肠功能特性已成为研究热点.将功能性发酵剂应用于发酵香肠中,可有效抑制有害微生物繁殖、降低生物胺和N-亚硝胺的生成、促进良好风味的形成、抑制过度氧化、降血压、降低胆固醇含量.本文主要就发酵香肠中功能性发酵剂的种类、发酵剂的...     

Nanoparticulation of probucol, a poorly water-soluble drug, using a novel wet-milling process to improve in vitro dissolution and in vivo oral absorption

To improve the dissolution and oral absorption properties of probucol, a novel wet-milling process using the ULTRA APEX MILL was investigated. The particle size of bulk probucol powder was 17.1 μm. However, after wet-milling with dispersing agents such as Gelucire 44/14, Gelucire 50/13, vitamin E-TPGS, and Pluronic F-108, the probucol particle sizes decreased to about 77-176 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis also suggested that the probucol particles were successfully milled into the nanometer range. An in vitro dissolution study showed that the dissolution rates of all nanopowders were several folds higher than those of the corresponding mixed powders. When orally administered to rats, the AUC values of probucol nanopowders treated with Gelucire 44/14 and 50/13, and vitamin E-TPGS were about 3.06-3.54-folds greater than that of the bulk powder. Therefore, through this study, we have developed a new pharmaceutical technique to improve the dissolution rate and oral absorption of probucol using the ULTRA APEX MILL by wet-milling with various dispersing agents.     

Amorphous nanosilicas induce consumptive coagulopathy after systemic exposure

We previously reported that well-dispersed amorphous nanosilicas with particle size 70 nm (nSP70) penetrate skin and produce systemic exposure after topical application. These findings underscore the need to examine biological effects after systemic exposure to nanosilicas. The present study was designed to examine the biological effects. BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with amorphous nanosilicas of sizes 70, 100, 300, 1000 nm and then assessed for survival, blood biochemistry, and coagulation. As a result, injection of nSP70 caused fatal toxicity, liver damage, and platelet depletion, suggesting that nSP70 caused consumptive coagulopathy. Additionally, nSP70 exerts procoagulant activity in vitro associated with an increase in specific surface area, which increases as diameter reduces. In contrast, nSP70-mediated procoagulant activity was absent in factor XII-deficient plasma. Collectively, we revealed that interaction between nSP70 and intrinsic coagulation factors such as factor XII, were deeply related to nSP70-induced harmful effects. In other words, it is suggested that if interaction between nSP70 and coagulation factors can be suppressed, nSP70-induced harmful effects may be avoided. These results would provide useful information for ensuring the safety of nanomaterials (NMs) and open new frontiers in biological fields by the use of NMs.     

表面活性剂与同离子效应对己内酰胺吸附的影响

通过向硫酸铵与己内酰胺混合物中添加阳离子表面活性剂、两性离子表面活性剂和同离子物质,研究了己内酰胺在硫酸铵晶体表面的吸附情况。实验结果表明：十二烷基三甲基氯化铵、十二烷基三甲基溴化铵、十六烷基三甲基氯化铵与氟阳离子表面活性剂能显著降低吸附量;硫酸钠、氯化铵、十二烷基甜菜碱和十六烷基三甲基溴化铵的加入,使己内酰胺在硫酸铵晶体表面的吸附量呈不规律的变化。在硫酸铵-母液-酰胺油体系中添加少量的十二烷基三甲基溴化铵可有效降低己内酰胺在硫酸铵颗粒表面的吸附量。     

Evaluation of the ATCA fast controller standard for ITER diagnostics

ITER project's long time span and the nature of the instrumentation and control (I&C) procurement procedures for the Plant Systems require that the ITER Organization defines and follows well recognized standards which are used both by the industry and in physics experiments. The ITER I&C standards are defined in the Plant Control Design Handbook (PCDH) [1]. The ITER Organization has selected PCI Express and Ethernet for IO intercommunication to be used for plant system instrumentation for fast controllers. The decision on the usage of serialized I/O bus protocols is based on the impressive performance and the commercial availability. The form factors that will be supported by CODAC include PXIe, MicroTCA, and AdvancedTCA platforms. While the PXIe form factor is already well established for instrumentation purposes through the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org), the AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA platforms which were originally targeted for the telecommunications market (www.picmg.org) are currently optimized and specified for instrumentation use through the xTCA extensions for physics [2]. The objective of this study is the evaluation of an integrated ATCA controller design using only commercial components.