Genetically engineered active Qbeta replicase in rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system: a fusion protein of EF-Tu and EF-Ts is functional as the subunit of Qbeta replicase

Qbeta replicase functioning in Escherichia coli is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase composed of one phage-coded subunit and three host-coded proteins: ribosomal protein S1, and protein elongation factors EF-Tu and EF-Ts. Qbeta replicase lacking ribosomal protein S1 (alpha-less replicase) is capable of replicating some small RNAs. We attempted to create functional alpha-less replicase by co-expression of the mRNAs that code for the subunits of alpha-less replicase in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system. Replicase activity, however, could not be detected when both EF-Tu and EF-Ts were co-expressed with the phage-coded subunit. On the other hand, active alpha-less replicase was obtained when an EF-Ts-EF-Tu fusion protein was co-expressed with the phage-coded subunit. Consequently, we succeeded in generating genetically engineered active alpha-less Qbeta replicase which functions in a eukaryotic cell-free system.     

A novel gene delivery system in plants with calcium alginate micro-beads

We have produced micrometer-sized calcium alginate beads referred to as "bio-beads" that encapsulate plasmid DNA molecules carrying a reporter gene. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the bio-beads in mediating genetic transfection, protoplasts isolated from cultured tobacco cells (BY-2) were transfected with bio-beads containing a plasmid that carries the modified green fluorescent protein gene CaMV35S-sGFP. With the bio-beads treatment, approximately ten-fold higher GFP expression was observed after 24 h incubation compared to that with the conventional method using a naked plasmid solution. Transfection was up to 0.22% efficient. These results indicate that bio-beads have a possibility for efficient transformation in plants.     

Arithmetic Meyer sets and finite automata

Non-standard number representation has proved to be useful in the speed-up of some algorithms, and in the modelization of solids called quasicrystals. Using tools from automata theory we study the set of β-integers, that is, the set of real numbers which have a zero fractional part when expanded in a real base β, for a given β > 1. In particular, when β is a Pisot number — like the golden mean —, the set is a Meyer set, which implies that there exists a finite set F (which depends only on β) such that . Such a finite set F, even of minimal size, is not uniquely determined.In this paper we give a method to construct the sets F and an algorithm, whose complexity is exponential in time and space, to minimize their size. We also give a finite transducer that performs the decomposition of the elements of as a sum belonging to .     

Synthesis,Liquid‐Crystalline Properties,and Photo‐optical Studies of Photoresponsive Oligomeric Mesogens as Dopants in a Chiral Glassy Liquid Crystal

We have prepared photoresponsive oligomers that have molecular weights of ca. 4500, 8000, and 16 000 g mol^–1 via the free‐radical polymerization of 4‐[4‐alkylphenylazo]phenoxyalkyl acrylates. All of the oligomers possess bilayer smectic A (SmA) and smectic B (SmB) phases. Increasing the concentration of these oligomeric dopants in a glass‐forming cholesteric liquid crystal causes a dramatic red‐shift in the reflection wavelength. The pitch shifts are very dependent on the alkyl chain lengths and molecular weights of the dopants. The oligomer that contains octyl chains and an octyl spacer, and that has a molecular weight of 4500 g mol^–1 exhibits the largest shift in the reflection wavelength. UV exposure has been used to control the cholesteric reflection pitch of the oligomer‐cholesteric glassy liquid‐crystal mixture over the entire visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and vitrifies the samples by rapid cooling from their cholesteric temperatures to 0 °C. Extremely stable, even at 70 °C, erasable, full‐color images have been created using this host–guest mixture.     

MRF-based texture segmentation using wavelet decomposed images

In recent textured image segmentation, Bayesian approaches capitalizing on computational efficiency of multiresolution representations have received much attention. Most of the previous researches have been based on multiresolution stochastic models which use the Gaussian pyramid image decomposition. In this paper, motivated by nonredundant directional selectivity and highly discriminative nature of the wavelet representation, we present an unsupervised textured image segmentation algorithm based on a multiscale stochastic modeling over the wavelet decomposition of image. The model, using doubly stochastic Markov random fields, captures intrascale statistical dependencies over the wavelet decomposed image and intrascale and interscale dependencies over the corresponding multiresolution region image.     

Parallel streamer discharges between wire and plane electrodes in water

Streamer discharges in tap water and distilled water have been generated by applying a voltage pulse from 120 to 175 kV and 500 ns duration to a wire-to-electrode configuration. Electrical and optical diagnostics were used to explore the temporal development of the streamers in tap and distilled water, at various applied voltages and both polarities. With the wire serving as anode, multiple, parallel streamer discharges were generated. The number density of these streamers along the wire decreases with decreasing electric field on the surface of the wire. The dependence of the streamer density on electric field indicates the role of field enhancement at inhomogeneous microstructures along the wire as streamer initiation mechanism. The appearance of the discharge was different for tap and distilled water. However, the measured average streamer propagation velocity from the positive wire to the grounded plane electrode, of 32 mm//spl mu/s, was independent of the water conductivity and the applied voltage. This suggests the existence of a self-sustained electric field at the streamer head. With the wire serving as cathode, only a weak light emission from the area close to the wire was observed, and streamers did not appear for the same voltage amplitude as with the positive polarity. This suggests that an ionic current flowing in the water is not dominant in the streamer propagation process.     

Thermodynamics of iron oxide in Fe x O-dilute CaO + Al2O3 + MgO + Fe x O slags at 1873 K

In order to determine the ferrous and ferric ion capacities: 3

Elimination of artifacts in MRCP: technical consideration

Artifacts of MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) include fluid-filled gastrointestinal tracts, respiratory motion artifacts, spasm of Oddi's sphincter, vascular compression of bile ducts, overlapping of various anatomical structures and bright signal of surrounding fatty tissue. In this article, various technical considerations to eliminate these artifacts were described for the better imaging analysis of MRCP. The use of high-concentration ferric ammonium citrate (Ferriseltz) is recommended to reduce bright signal of fluid-filled gastrointestinal tracts. In case of long breathhold sequences, O2-inhalation study is useful to eliminate respiratory motion artifacts. Careful attention should be paid to the spasm of Oddi's sphincter and the vascular compression of bile ducts to avoid erroneous interpretation of MRCP findings.     

A robust increase in expression of arc gene, an effector immediate early gene, in the rat brain after acute and chronic methamphetamine administration

The effect of acute and chronic administration of methamphetamine (METH) on the levels of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (arc), an effector-immediate early gene, mRNA has been investigated in rat brain using in situ hybridization. Levels of arc mRNAs in the brain regions examined increased significantly from 0.5-1 h after an acute METH (4 mg/kg) administration compared with basal levels. The increase in arc mRNA continued by 3 h, and then subsided to basal levels by 6 h. The degree of increase in arc mRNA and the peak time after METH administration varied according to brain area. Arc mRNA in cerebral cortices showed robust increase 1 h after METH administration. In the striatum and hippocampus, it showed earlier and later increase, respectively, and its degree of both was less than in the cortices. Microscopic examination revealed that the METH-induced arc mRNAs in the parietal cortex were enriched in layers IV and VI, and those in the striatum existed mainly in the medium-sized neuron. Pretreatment with either 0.5 mg/kg SCH23390 or 0.25 mg/kg MK-801 almost completely blocked the enhanced striatal arc mRNA levels induced by acute METH administration, whereas such pretreatments only partially reduced the effect of METH in the cerebral cortical regions. In the chronic treatment experiment, the arc mRNA levels of the group that received chronic treatment with METH followed by a METH challenge showed an increase like seen after acute METH administration. Since previous studies proposed that arc is one of cytoskeleton-associated proteins and is selectively localized in neural dendrites, the results of the present study suggested that arc may play an important role in the synaptic plasticity underlying METH-induced adaptational changes including behavioral sensitization.