Stability of the TAR RNA and its complex with arginine

Most stable secondary structures and their stabilization energies of the TAR RNA with +1 to +104 nucleotide-sequence region were calculated at different temperatures by using thermodynamic parameters for RNA structure prediction. The most stable secondary structure has one bulge and one loop within the region of +20 to +40 nucleotide sequence, and its stabilization energy at 37 degrees C was -46.3 kcal mol-1. The interaction of a TAR bulge oligomer (TARBO) with arginine (Arg) which was in the binding site of a Tat protein was also investigated by CD measurements. The addition of Arg did not affect the CD spectrum of TARBO. The result was different from that of the RNA oligomer with both bulge and loop.     

Gel chromism and anomalous luminescence in poly(3-alkylthiophene)

The absorption spectrum of poly(3-alkylthiophene) gel changes drastically in association with a volume instability upon changing the solvent composition and also the temperature. In the expanded state in chloroform and at high temperature, the photoluminescence is much enhanced compared with the shrunken state in ethanol and at low temperature. This gel chromism and anomalous luminescence are discussed in terms of the change of effective conjugation length induced by the steric hindrance and the dynamics of the photoexcited species.     

STRUCTURE FORMATION OF COATED FILMS WITH DISPERSED PIGMENTS DURING DRYING

In the drying of coated films with dispersed pigments, such as floppy disks, the structure of the film is formed during the drying process and depends on the drying condition. It is important to understand the structure formation during drying for the design of the dryer and die better quality of the product. We measured die drying characteristics of the film and determined the structure of dried film experimentally. A qualitative model for the structure formation during drying of the coated film is suggested.     

Some experimental findings in compression-after-impact (CAI) tests of CF/PEEK (APC-2) and conventional CF/epoxy flat plates

Compression-after-impact (CAI) tests have been conducted for quasi-isotropic thick plates with 48 plies by using the NASA method and on plates with 32 plies by using the SACMA method. Specimens are made of CF/PEEK (APC-2) and conventional CF/epoxy for the NASA plates and CF/epoxy for the SACMA plates. In the NASA CAI tests, the sequence of delamination buckling and its propagation is clearly revealed through various experimental techniques. One major technique is moiré topography, and the other is thermo-mechanical stress analysis with a high-accuracy infrared sensor. The arrest of delamination propagation just before catastrophic failure due to high fracture toughness is clearly captured by the moiré camera. This behavior provides good CAI values of CF/PEEK. The initial buckling properties of the delaminated region by the impact are then extensively discussed. Numerical predictions of initial buckling stress have been obtained by modelled geometry of the delaminated region simplified from its precise structure clarified by ultrasonic C-scanning. They agree fairly well with the experimental results. The in-plane stress distribution in the delaminated region before initial buckling is measured by an infrared stress graphic system. This compared favorably with finite element predictions. Two types of symmetric buckling modes with respect to the central plate surface, twin and single peak ones, are experimentally captured.     

Colony promoting activity (CPA) is a novel factor distinct from IL-6

The supernatant (CM) of long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC) contains colony promoting activity (CPA) which does not have granulocyte-macrophage (GM) colony-stimulating activity but which enhances GM-colony formation in the presence of CSF. CPA is different from IL-1, IL-3 and GM, G-, and M-CSF. Since CPA-containing LTBMC-CM always contains a substantial level of IL-6, CPA was thought to be similar to IL-6. In the present study, we found that LTBMC with a particular batch of horse serum produced IL-6 without a corresponding production of CPA. Addition of IL-6 to GM-colony assay system in the presence of GM-CSF did not enhance the colony formation. LTBMC-CM did not stimulate proliferation nor differentiation of mast cell progenitors. Anti-IL-6 antibodies suppressed IL-6 activity, but not CPA. These results indicate that CPA is a novel factor distinct from IL-1, IL-3, G-, M-, GM-CSF, IL-6 and SCF (c-kit ligand).     

Polarization-controlled single-mode VCSEL

Relative intensity noise (RIN) in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) was greatly reduced through the use of polarization control to eliminate competition between two orthogonal polarization states by ensuring there was only one polarization state. Polarization was stable with optical feedback of up to 10%. Polarization control was achieved by inducing a small loss anisotropy in fundamental transversal mode VCSEL's. Anisotropic post structures, such as a rectangular post, an oblique post, or a zigzag-sidewall post, were found to be effective in creating loss anisotropy without serious degradation of other VCSEL characteristics such as light-output power or beam profile     

Day-night variations of behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory responses to lipopolysaccharide in rats

This study investigated the day-night differences in behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. Male rats were housed individually in cages with a 12: 12 h light dark cycle at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees C. The rats were placed in a box with a temperature gradient and intraperitoneally injected with LPS (10 micrograms/kg). The preferred ambient temperature (Tpr) was estimated by the location of the rats in the box, and intraperitoneal temperature (Tb) was measured by a biotelemetry system. Measurements were taken during the light and dark phases of the day. LPS produced fever in both phases. The magnitude of rise in Tb did not differ between the two periods. In the dark phase, Tpr significantly increased during the development of fever and decreased during the defervescence, while it did not change throughout the febrile course during the light phase. In a separate experiment, rats were loosely restrained and placed in a direct calorimeter. Their colonic temperature (Tcol), evaporative and nonevaporative heat loss and heat production were measured before and after intraperitoneal injections of LPS (10 micrograms/kg). Measurements were taken during the light and dark phases of the day. LPS induced fever in both phases. The magnitude of change in T col, heat loss, and heat production due to LPS did not differ between the two periods. These results suggest that the fertile response of rats to intraperitoneal LPS is not affected by the time of day. However, it seems that during LPS-induced fever, thermoregulatory behavior is not fully activated during the light phase of the day.     

Fabrication of blue-light emission fused-silica substrates by using Si-ion implantation and high-temperature annealing

We fabricated fused-silica substrates which emit blue light by using Si-ion implantation and high-temperature annealing. Photoluminescence peak wavelengths are around 400 nm, and the peak intensities can be remarkable after annealing above 1150 °C.     

An experimental BiCMOS video 10 bit ADC

The possibility of realizing a high-quality, low-power, and low-cost video 10 bit analog-to-digital converter is examined utilizing BiCMOS circuit and process technology. A single-power-supply, 10 bit 10 MHz operation, 500 mW power dissipation, and a 4.2×6.2 mm chip size with 4200 elements were obtained