Height of the spout of a gas plume discharging from a metal melt

In the present investigation, the height of the spout of a gas plume discharging from the surface of a metal melt has been measured in a laboratory model involving mercury and in real steel ladles. The spout geometry strongly fluctuates with time. This has to be taken into account in the measuring method and data evaluation. Long-term averages of the spout profile and momentary maximum height values have been determined, and it has been found that their nondimensional values are of similar size in the model and in the steel ladle. An engineering formula is presented for the estimation of maximum spout height in argon stirring.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of integral membrane proteins at the subnanomolar level: application to recombinant photopigments.

Integral membrane proteins produced by eukaryotic expression systems are a subject of much current interest in biomedical investigation. Due to the low efficiency of their expression and the limited quantity of the expressed to the total amount of the membrane proteins, they have evaded mass spectrometric analysis. The methodology previously developed for mass spectrometric analysis of integral membrane proteins required proteins that were obtained relatively pure from their native membranes. The previously developed methodology has been modified and applied to the analysis of subnanomolar samples of rhodopsin. Bovine rhodopsin purified by affinity chromatography, from native membranes and from a eukaryotic expression system, was successfully analyzed, obtaining complete sequence coverage for the detection and localization of posttranslational modifications. The methodology presented here will enable mass spectrometric analysis of subnanomolar levels of photopigments or other integral membrane proteins either from their native membranes or as products of expression systems.     

A 0.18-μm 256-Mb DDR-SDRAM with low-cost post-mold tuning methodfor DLL replica

A 200-MHz double-data-rate synchronous-DRAM (DDR-SDRAM) was developed. The chip contains a delay-locked loop (DLL) which performs over a wide range of operating conditions. Post-mold-tuning allows precise replica programming. A 200-MHz intra-chip data bus is suitable for DDR operation     

A study of manipulator with passive revolute joint

In this article, equations of motion of a manipulator, whose mechanism has a passive revolute joint, are derived in consideration of the characteristics of driving source. Considering the fi nal condition of displacement and velocity of the passive joint, trajectories of velocity for energy saving are calculated by iterative dynamic programming. And the dynamic characteristics of manipulator control based on the trajectory for energy saving are analyzed theoretically and investigated experimentally. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Solution Property and Irradiation Effect of Random Copolypeptides Composed of Ala and Pro Residues

Summary Poly(proline) and random copolypeptide composed of Pro and Ala residues were synthesized, and their solution properties and molecular conformation were investigated. Aqueous solutions of the polypeptide were irradiated with γ-rays above the transition temperature. It was shown that the transition temperature of the aqueous solution of the copolypeptide is influenced by Ala-residue content and γ-ray irradiation.     

Urothelium-Specific Deletion of Connexin43 in the Mouse Urinary Bladder Alters Distension-Induced ATP Release and Voiding Behavior

Connexin43 (Cx43), the main gap junction and hemichannel forming protein in the urinary bladder, participates in the regulation of bladder motor and sensory functions and has been reported as an important modulator of day–night variations in functional bladder capacity. However, because Cx43 is expressed throughout the bladder, the actual role played by the detrusor and the urothelial Cx43 is still unknown. For this purpose, we generated urothelium-specific Cx43 knockout (uCx43KO) mice using Cre-LoxP system. We evaluated the day–night micturition pattern and the urothelial Cx43 hemichannel function of the uCx43KO mice by measuring luminal ATP release after bladder distention. In wild-type (WT) mice, distention-induced ATP release was elevated, and functional bladder capacity was decreased in the animals’ active phase (nighttime) when Cx43 expression was also high compared to levels measured in the sleep phase (daytime). These day–night differences in urothelial ATP release and functional bladder capacity were attenuated in uCx43KO mice that, in the active phase, displayed lower ATP release and higher functional bladder capacity than WT mice. These findings indicate that urothelial Cx43 mediated ATP signaling and coordination of urothelial activity are essential for proper perception and regulation of responses to bladder distension in the animals’ awake, active phase.     

Differences in the recognition of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells derived from solid tumor, metastatic lymph nodes and ascites in patients with gastric cancer

We established gastric cancer-specific CD8+ T-cell (T(CD8+)) lines derived from different lymphocyte sources in the same patients by repeated stimulation with mitomycin-C-treated autologous tumor cells with low-dose interleukin-2, and we compared recognition patterns among the T(CD8+) derived from solid tumor, lymph node metastasis and ascites in the same patient (n = 3) to determine their similarities and differences for therapeutic purposes. We confirmed that gastric cancer-specific T(CD8+) lines can be isolated, in a MHC class I-restricted manner, from solid tumors, metastatic lymph nodes and malignant ascites. T(CD8+) lines derived from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in solid tumor recognized autologous tumor cells derived from solid tumor, but not autologous tumor cells derived from ascites or metastatic lymph node, while T(CD8+) lines derived from tumor-associated lymphocytes (TAL) in malignant ascites recognized autologous tumor cells derived from ascites, but not tumor cells from solid tumor or metastatic lymph node. Furthermore, T(CD8+) lines derived from regional lymph node lymphocytes (RLNL) recognized autologous tumor cells derived from metastatic lymph nodes, but not tumor cells derived from ascites. No significant differences were seen in MHC class I expression among the tumors derived from solid tumor, lymph node metastasis or ascites in the same patient. This suggests that there are differences of recognition patterns among the TILs, TALs and RLNLs in the same patient and that it is important to consider the source of lymphocytes, e.g., a combination of TILs, TALs and RLNLs, for adoptive immunotherapy in gastric cancer patients.     

Effects of High Irradiance and Low Water Temperature on Photoinhibition and Repair of Photosystems in Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan,Japan

The green alga Aegagropila linnaei often forms spherical aggregates called “marimo” in Lake Akan in Japan. In winter, marimo are exposed to low water temperatures at 1–4 °C but protected from strong sunlight by ice coverage, which may disappear due to global warming. In this study, photoinhibition in marimo was examined at 2 °C using chlorophyll fluorescence and 830 nm absorption. Filamentous cells of A. linnaei dissected from marimo were exposed to strong light at 2 °C. Photosystem II (PSII) was markedly photoinhibited, while photosystem I was unaffected. When the cells with PSII damaged by the 4 h treatment were subsequently illuminated with moderate repair light at 2 °C, the maximal efficiency of PSII was recovered to the level before photoinhibition. However, after the longer photoinhibitory treatments, PSII efficiency did not recover by the repair light. When the cells were exposed to simulated diurnal light for 12 h per day, which was more ecological, the cells died within a few days. Our results showed new findings of the PSII repair at 2 °C and serious damage at the cellular level from prolonged high-light treatments. Further, we provided a clue to what may happen to marimo in Lake Akan in the near future.     

A novel finite-element method for nonreciprocal magneto-photonic crystal waveguides

A new formulation of the finite-element method to analyze nonreciprocal waveguides in magneto-photonic crystals (MPCs) is proposed. Accurate solutions of light propagations for two different directions are obtained by the asymmetrical input condition. As numerical examples, the performance of a waveguide-type optical isolator in MPCs designed by the eigenmode analyses is confirmed by using this method. Subsequently, an effective way to enhance the nonreciprocity of the optical isolator is shown.