Multiple evaluations of the removal of pollutants in road runoff by soil infiltration

Groundwater replenishment by infiltration of road runoff is expected to be a promising option for ensuring a sustainable urban water cycle. In this study, we performed a soil infiltration column test using artificial road runoff equivalent to approximately 11-12 years of rainfall to evaluate the removal of pollutants by using various chemical analyses and bioassay tests. These results indicated that soil infiltration treatment works effectively to remove most of the pollutants such as organic matter (chemical oxygen demand (CODMn) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), P species, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), numerous heavy metals and oestrogenic activities. Bioassay tests, including algal growth inhibition test, Microtox and mutagen formation potential (MFP) test, also revealed effective removal of toxicities by the soils. However, limited amounts of NO3, Mn, Ni, alkaline earth metals, perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane sulphonamide (FOSA) were removed by the soils and they possibly reach the groundwater and cause contamination.     

International mobility of researchers in robotics,computer vision and electron devices: A quantitative and comparative analysis

We investigated author information in scientific articles by approximately 7,000 researchers for a quantitative analysis of researchers’ international mobility. From top journals, we traced the movements of more than 2,200 researchers in the research domains of robotics, computer vision and electron devices. We categorized countries’ characteristics for the balance between the inflow and the outflow of researchers moving internationally. Flow patterns of international mobility confirm that the United States, China and India exhibit the greatest global flows of researchers, with Singapore and Hong Kong attracting remarkable numbers of researchers from other countries. International mobility focusing on institutions reveals that universities in Singapore receive as many foreign researchers as do research universities in the United States. Furthermore, firms and international collaborative research institutes act as alternative receivers to the universities in the electron devices research domain.     

The effect of the N-linked glycans on structural features and physicochemical functions of soybean β-conglycinin homotrimers

β-Conglycinin is a trimeric protein consisting of three subunits, α,α′,and β, which are N-glycosylated. The α and α′ subunits contain extension regions in addition to core regions common to all subunits. We purified homogeneous trimers consisting of only α, α′, or β from mutant soybean cultivars containing β-conglycinin lacking one or two subunits: α homotrimers from an α′-lacking mutant, α′ homotrimers from an α-lacking mutant, and β homotrimers from an α-and α′-lacking mutant. Structural features and physicochemical functions of the three homotrimers were examined and compared with those of recombinant homotrimers having no N-linked glycans. The native homotrimers have secondary structures very similar to those of the recombinant ones. In analogy with the recombinant homotrimers, the native ones exhibit different thermal stabilities from one another (β>α′>α), and the native α and α′ homotrimers exhibit better solubility, emulsifying ability, and heat-induced association than the native β homotrimer. Further, the N-linked glycans contribute to solubilities of the three subunits at low ionic strength (μ=0.08) and to the emulsifying ability of the native β homotrimer. N-Linked glycans also prevent heat-induced associations of the native α and α′ homotrimers but do not contribute to the secondary structure and the thermal stability of β-conglycinin.     

XAFS Analysis for Niobium Carbide Particle Growth on Silica Support During Preparation Process

SiO₂-supported NbC catalysts were prepared by using temperature-programmed reactions (TPR). XAFS analysis confirmed that Nb₂O₅ was reduced to NbO₂ in the first TPR stage and converted into NbC in the second TPR stage. Nb particles grew only in the second TPR stage. Formation of highly dispersed NbC particles on SiO₂ surfaces was achieved.     

High-pressure solubility of fullerene C60 in toluene

The solubility of fullerene C₆₀ in toluene was measured at temperatures between 278.2 and 308.2 K and pressures up to 340 MPa, and also at temperatures between 258.2 and 298.2 K under atmospheric pressure. The solubility increased with increasing pressure, and then decreased with a sharp maximum, suggesting a transition between solid phases. A thermodynamic analysis of the solubility supported the proposal of Korobov, et al. that the two solids correspond to C₆₀ (fcc) and C₆₀ · 2 (toluene) solvate. The solubility enhancement of C₆₀ by pressure in a low-pressure region is an unusual phenomenon when compared with the decrease in solubility of nonpolar molecular solids generally observed with rises in pressure.     

Candidate Biomarkers for Genetic and Clinicopathological Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer

The recent increase in the frequency of endometrial cancer has emphasized the need for accurate diagnosis and improved treatment. The current diagnosis is still based on conventional pathological indicators, such as clinical stage, tumor differentiation, invasion depth and vascular invasion. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying endometrial cancer have gradually been determined, due to developments in molecular biology, leading to the possibility of new methods of diagnosis and treatment planning. New candidate biomarkers for endometrial cancer include those for molecular epigenetic mutations, such as microRNAs. These biomarkers may permit earlier detection of endometrial cancer and prediction of outcomes and are likely to contribute to future personalized therapy for endometrial cancer.     

Effects of amino acid replacements around the reactive site of chicken ovomucoid domain 3 on the inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin and trypsin

We have previously shown that replacing the P1-site residue(Ala) of chicken ovomucoid domain 3 (OMCHI3) with a Met or Lysresults in the acquisition of inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsinor trypsin, respectively. However, the inhibitory activitiesthus induced are not strong. In the present study, we introducedadditional amino acid replacements around the reactive siteto try to make the P1-site mutants more effective inhibitorsof chymotrypsin or trypsin. The amino acid replacement AspTyrat the P2' site of OMCHI3(P1Met) resulted in conversion to a35000-fold more effective inhibitor of chymotrypsin with aninhibitor constant (K_i) of 1.17x10^–11 M. The K_i valueof OMCHI3(P1Met, P2'Ala) indicated that the effect on the interactionwith chymotrypsin of removing a negative charge from the P2'site was greater than that of introducing an aromatic ring.Similarly, enhanced inhibition of trypsin was observed whenthe AspTyr replacement was introduced into the P2' site of OMCHI3(P1Lys).Two additional replacements, AspAla at the P4 site and ArgAlaat the P3' site, made the mutant a more effective inhibitorof trypsin with a K_i value of 1.44x10^–9 M. By contrast,ArgAla replacement at the P3' site of OMCHI3(P1Met, P2'Tyr)resulted in a greatly reduced inhibition of chymotrypsin, andAspAla replacement at the P4 site produced only a small changewhen compared with a natural variant of OMCHI3. These resultsclearly indicate that not only the P1-site residue but alsothe characteristics, particularly the electrostatic properties,of the amino acid residues around the reactive site of the proteaseinhibitor determine the strength of its interactions with proteases.Furthermore, amino acids with different characteristics arerequired around the reactive site for strong inhibition of chymotrypsinand trypsin.