Estimation of sensitivity coefficient based on lasso-type penalized linear regression

We proposed the penalized regression ‘adaptive smooth-lasso’ for the estimation of sensitivity coefficients of the neutronics parameters. The proposed method utilizes the variation of the microscopic cross-sections and the neutronics parameters obtained by random sampling. The weighted penalty term of the proposed method is more appropriate for the estimation of the sensitivity of neutronics parameters to the microscopic cross-section than that of the conventional methods. In a numerical verification calculation, sensitivity coefficients of k_eff of an accelerator-driven system are estimated using the proposed method, the conventional penalized regression, and the direct method. Comparison of these results indicates that the proposed method is superior to the conventional penalized linear regression from the viewpoint of reproduction of the reference sensitivity coefficients obtained by the direct method. Through the verification calculations, the proposed method can be a candidate for a practical method to estimate the sensitivity coefficients with low calculation cost.     

Effects of koji fermented phenolic compounds on the oxidative stability of fish miso

In the present study, Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji inhibited lipid oxidation in fermented fish paste rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids following a long fermentation period. The fermentation of koji by A. oryzae liberated several bioactive phenolic compounds, including kojic acid and ferulic acid, which were the most abundant. A linear correlation between several phenolic compounds and their bioactive properties, including their radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, metal-chelating activity, and ability to inhibit linoleic acid oxidation was observed. This suggested an important role of koji phenolics in the oxidative stability of fermented fish paste. The activities of different carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase, were positively correlated with the liberation of several phenolic compounds through koji fermentation. Thus, the application of koji offers a novel strategy to enhance the oxidative stability of newly developed fermented fish miso. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Application of traditional Japanese koji fermentation technique to develop an aroma enriched fish meat bases seasoning has been established. Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji releases several carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulose, and β-glucosidase, which led to the liberation of several phenolic compounds during fermentation. Improvement of oxidative stability of the fermented fish meat paste by koji phenolics suggests a useful strategy to uplift the value of different trash fish meat-based seasoning through proper utilization of the present technique.     

Effect of starvation on lipid metabolism and stability of DHA content of lipids in horse mackerel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachurus japonicus</Emphasis>) tissues

For the purpose of characterizing the effect of starvation on 22∶6n−3 (DHA) content in marine fish tissues, horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) were reared in a tank containing filtered, sterilized seawater under nonfeeding conditions for 107 d (survival rate of the fish was 96.5%). The crude total lipids (TL) of ordinary dorsal muscle, dorsal skin, and viscera of the starved individuals were separated into classes on silicic acid columns, and the constituents of the TL were quantified by gravimetric recovery from column chromatography. The TL, initially>85% TAG in dorsal muscle, and even more in skin lipids, decreased dramatically within the first 44 d of starvation, and then decreased more gradually during the remainder of the test period, whereas the visceral TL decreased more slowly. The percentages of both saturated and monoenoic FA in the muscle TL also decreased somewhat, but those of DHA increased significantly in muscle during the test periods. Decreases in PE and PC initially were much smaller than TAG, but DHA levels remained high in both PE and PC. These findings indicate that all of the FA in the depot lipids of horse mackerel tissues are easily metabolized for energy production during starvation, but DHA in muscle lipids of the starved fish was maintained at a consistently high level, indicating that starvation did not affect DHA stability in phospholipids. The findings suggest that preservation of DHA in cell membrane lipid PE and PC is necessary for self-protection functions in starving fish.     

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

There is a close relationship between diabetes mellitus and heart failure, and diabetes is an independent risk factor for heart failure. Diabetes and heart failure are linked by not only the complication of ischemic heart disease, but also by metabolic disorders such as glucose toxicity and lipotoxicity based on insulin resistance. Cardiac dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and valvular disease is called diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes-induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia lead to capillary damage, myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial hypertrophy with mitochondrial dysfunction. Lipotoxicity with extensive fat deposits or lipid droplets is observed on cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress and inflammation cause cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. Treatment with a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor is currently one of the most effective treatments for heart failure associated with diabetes. However, an effective treatment for lipotoxicity of the myocardium has not yet been established, and the establishment of an effective treatment is needed in the future. This review provides an overview of heart failure in diabetic patients for the clinical practice of clinicians.     

Emotional conflict and neuroticism: Personality-dependent activation in the amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 121(6) of Behavioral Neuroscience (see record 2007-18058-033). There was an error in the text of Figure 1 on p. 250. Above the image of the third person, "×?6repetitions" should have appeared as "× 6 repetitions." The corrected figure is provided in the erratum.] The amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate (AC) have been associated with anxiety and mood disorders, for which trait neuroticism is a risk factor. Prior work has not related individual differences in amygdala or subgenual AC activation with neuroticism. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate changes in blood oxygen level-dependent signal within the amygdala and subgenual AC associated with trait neuroticism in a nonclinical sample of 36 volunteers during an emotional conflict task. Neuroticism correlated positively with amygdala and subgenual AC activation during trials of high emotional conflict, compared with trials of low emotional conflict. The subscale of neuroticism that reflected the anxious form of neuroticism (N1) explained a greater proportion of variance within the observed clusters than the subscale of neuroticism that reflected the depressive form of neuroticism (N3). Using a task that is sensitive to individual differences in the detection of emotional conflict, the authors have provided a neural correlate of the link between neuroticism and anxiety and mood disorders. This effect was driven to a greater extent by the anxious relative to the depressive characteristics of neuroticism and may constitute vulnerability markers for anxiety-related disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflection at transparent V-grooved surface

Reflection at transparent V-grooved surface was studied on the basis of geometrical analysis and ray tracing using Fresnel's formulas. For normally incident light, the reflectivity at the V-grooved surface of tilt angles between 0° and 30° and between 45° and 54° are approximated by the reflectivities and the squared reflectivities, respectively, at a smooth surface. For obliquely incident light, the V-grooved surface is effective to reduce the reflectivity at large angle of incidence by reducing the actual angle of striking the surface. In addition, the V-grooved surface of large tilt angle reduces the reflectivity at a small angle of incidence due to multiple reflections between adjacent opposite surfaces of the groove. The daily average reflectivity monotonically decreases with increasing tilt angle from 30° to its upper limit (59.1° for n=1.5) in the analysis. When normally incident light enters the layer and a part of it reflects at the rear surface, the escape from the upper surface can be prevented by serial total internal reflections at the upper surface of medium tilt angle (30.9°–41.0° for n=1.5).     

Edible film from squid (Todarodes pacificus) mantle muscle

Mantle muscle meat of Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus) was used to produce edible films in this study. The solubility of squid mantle muscle proteins increased upon addition of NaCl and organic salts (Na-citrate, Na-benzoate, Na-acetate and Na-tartrate). At concentrations below 2%, among organic salts, Na-citrate appeared to have the highest ability to dissolve proteins. Film-forming solutions were prepared by dissolving squid mantle meat in 0.5% or 1% salt solutions at neutral pH. Physical properties and SDS–PAGE of the films were determined. The film-forming solution prepared with 0.5% Na-citrate gave the transparent film with the highest tensile strength and least degradation of myosin heavy chain. Organic salt type at the same concentration had no significant effects (p ? 0.05) on water vapour permeability (WVP) of the films. The films showed excellent UV barrier properties. In addition, organic salts gave no significant effects (p ? 0.05) on light barrier properties and transparency of the films except for NaCl and Na-tartrate which were crystallised during the drying process. These results suggested that Na-citrate is the most useful for producing the edible films from squid mantle muscle among the organic salts examined in this study.     

FK506-Binding Protein 22 from a Psychrophilic Bacterium, a Cold Shock-Inducible Peptidyl Prolyl Isomerase with the Ability to Assist in Protein Folding

Adaptation of microorganisms to low temperatures remains to be fully elucidated. It has been previously reported that peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIases) are involved in cold adaptation of various microorganisms whether they are hyperthermophiles, mesophiles or phsycrophiles. The rate of cis-trans isomerization at low temperatures is much slower than that at higher temperatures and may cause problems in protein folding. However, the mechanisms by which PPIases are involved in cold adaptation remain unclear. Here we used FK506-binding protein 22, a cold shock protein from the psychrophilic bacterium Shewanella sp. SIB1 (SIB1 FKBP22) as a model protein to decipher the involvement of PPIases in cold adaptation. SIB1 FKBP22 is homodimer that assumes a V-shaped structure based on a tertiary model. Each monomer consists of an N-domain responsible for dimerization and a C-catalytic domain. SIB1 FKBP22 is a typical cold-adapted enzyme as indicated by the increase of catalytic efficiency at low temperatures, the downward shift in optimal temperature of activity and the reduction in the conformational stability. SIB1 FKBP22 is considered as foldase and chaperone based on its ability to catalyze refolding of a cis-proline containing protein and bind to a folding intermediate protein, respectively. The foldase and chaperone activites of SIB1 FKBP22 are thought to be important for cold adaptation of Shewanella sp. SIB1. These activities are also employed by other PPIases for being involved in cold adaptation of various microorganisms. Despite other biological roles of PPIases, we proposed that foldase and chaperone activities of PPIases are the main requirement for overcoming the cold-stress problem in microorganisms due to folding of proteins.     

THE GROWTH OF MICROSTRUCTURALLY SMALL FATIGUE CRACKS IN A FERRITIC-PEARLITIC STEEL

Abstract— The growth behaviour of microstructurally small fatigue cracks was investigated with smooth specimens of a ferritic-pearlitic steel, S45C. under rotating bending. The effects of microstructure, particularly the role of pearlite structure, on crack growth were evaluated based on detailed microscopic observations. In the region smaller than a certain crack length. small cracks tended to grow preferentially in the ferrite structure, and the crack growth rates decreased markedly at ferrite-pearlite boundaries when small cracks grew into the pearlite from the ferrite. The above region of crack length, i.e. the length of microstructurally small cracks, depended on stress level, increasing with decreasing stress level. The growth mechanism is also discussed in terms of the results obtained from fractogrdphy.