Accumulation of Misfolded Protein Aggregates Leads to the Formation of Russell Body-like Dilated Endoplasmic Reticulum in Yeast

RNAP-I, an aspartic proteinase from a filamentous fungus Rhizopus niveus, is secreted very efficiently in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is synthesized first as a precursor form with signal sequence and prosequence in its amino-terminus. Our previous study indicated that the prosequence of RNAP-I had important roles in its correct folding and secretion in yeast, and that a prosequence-deleted derivative of RNAP-I, Δpro, was not secreted but was retained and degraded in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In the present study, we show that the accumulation of Δpro in the yeast ER caused elevated synthesis of ER resident chaperones, indicating that Δpro is recognized as an unfolded protein species in the ER. Our biochemical data demonstrated that Δpro formed aggregates which contained BiP, but not protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), in the ER. Immunoelectron microscopical analysis revealed that the Δpro aggregates were indeed visible as electron-dense regions in the ER and nuclear envelope. Such ‘chaperone-associated misfolded protein bodies’ were observed for the first time in yeast. Morphologies of the ER and nucleus were drastically altered by the accumulation of the Δpro aggregates. The ER lost its flat cisternal shape; the ER lumen extended aberrantly and the ER membrane irregularly proliferated. The misfolded Δpro proteins are probably sorted from the ordinary ER lumen to form the aggregates so that the ER function would not be grossly impaired, and the dilated ER may represent an ER subcompartment where the Δpro aggregates are degraded. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Miscibility and pressure‐sensitive adhesive performances of acrylic copolymer and hydrogenated rosin systems

Relationship between the miscibility of pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) acrylic copolymer/hydrogenated rosin systems and their performance (180° peel strength, probe tack, and holding power), which was measured over a wide range of time and temperature, were investigated. The miscible range of the blend system tended to become smaller as the molecular weight of the tackifier increased. In the case of miscible blend systems, the viscoelastic properties (such as the storage modulus and the loss modulus) shifted toward higher temperature or toward lower frequency and, at the same time, the pressure‐sensitive adhesive performance shifted toward the lower rate side as the T_g of the blend increased. In the case of acrylic copolymer/hydrogenated rosin acid systems, a somewhat unusual trend was observed in the relationship among the phase diagram, T_g, and the pressure‐sensitive adhesive performance. T_g of the blend was higher than that expected from T_gs of the pure components. This trend can be due to the presence of free carboxyl group in the tackifier resin. However, the phase diagram depended on the molecular weight of the tackifier. The pressure‐sensitive adhesive performance depended on the viscoelastic properties of the bulk phase. A few systems where a single T_g could be measured, despite the fact that two phases were observed microscopically, were found. The curve of the probe tack of this system shifted toward a lower rate side as the T_g increases. However, both the curve of the peel strength and the holding power of such system did not shift along the rate axis. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 651–663, 1999     

Fault current limiting system for 500‐kV power systems

Recently, expansion in the scale of power systems and development of localized power sources are leading to an increase in fault current of 500‐kV systems. In the future, it is quite likely that the fault current at the interconnection of such power systems may exceed the rated short‐time current of existing electric power facilities. As one of the solutions of this problem, a thyristor‐controlled series‐resonant‐type fault current limiter (FCL) is proposed to restrain the fault current. This paper deals with the FCL system configuration, the placement method of the FCL in power systems, the outline of the FCL's specification, and the operation method of the protective relay in the multimachine system. Finally, the effectiveness of the FCL is evaluated from the viewpoints of limiting the fault current by simulation analysis. The FCL is shown to be a useful protection device for large, high‐capacity power systems. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 127(1): 11–22, 1999     

Constrained neural network learning algorithm for estimating advertising effectiveness

This paper proposes a neural network algorithm for estimating advertising effectiveness. The basic premise under this algorithm is that the relationship between input and output monotonically increases. The algorithm is useful for domains such as estimation of advertising effectiveness, for which only deficient data are available. The experimental simulation shows that the algorithm builds a reasonable model for estimating advertising effectiveness. © 1998 Scripta Techinca, Electr Eng Jpn, 126(1): 34–41, 1999     

Radiation‐initiated graft polymerization of methylmethacrylate onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene): Characterization by 1H‐NMR

A broad‐line ¹H‐NMR study was carried out to examine the local structure of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) grafted onto Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). The NMR spectra were observed for three different samples with 1.0, 5.4, and 7.0 wt % PMMA over the temperature range from 150 to 380 K. With the help of selectively deuterated PMMA (PMMA‐d₅ and PMMA‐d₈)‐grafted samples, the NMR spectra were analyzed in terms of two components—a Gaussian (G) component, and a Lorentzian (L) component. Based on the second moments (〈ΔH²〉) analysis, the L and G components were attributed to the ¹H–¹H dipolar interactions within one CH₃ group and the interactions of CH₃ groups that are closely located in aggregated PMMA chains. Combining the results with the temperature dependence of 〈ΔH²〉 and the angular resolved XPS, the location and rotational motion of PMMA grafted onto PTFE are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1386–1394, 1999     

Screening for lipid depositor of Indonesian microalgae isolated from seashore and peat-land

The screening for finding the lipid producer of indigenous Indonesian tropical microalgae that obtained from peat-land at Riau, Sumatra and seashore at Lombok has carried out. Preliminary screening was done by selection on faster growing algae from 44 (forty-four) isolates. 10 (ten) isolates were chosen for further analysis. Out of 10 selected isolates shows that five isolates have indication rapid growth and high content of lipid, furthermore those chose isolates were observed comprehensively, namely LIPI11-2-Al005, LIPI11-2-Al010, LIPI11-2-Al015, LIPI11-2-Al018, and LIPI11-2-Al019. The microalgae are belong to the eukaryotic microalgae and its seem to be closed to Chlorophytes that has cell nuclear with an envelope, light green chloroplast, thick cell wall, round and elongated cell features. Cultivation of the microalgae in laboratory condition (1 L) has shown that lipid content was about 20–35% base in cell dry weight. The highest lipid content was found in the isolate LIPI11-2-Al018 of 30.74% per dry weight cell. LIPI11-2-A1018 therefore was test for scale up cultivation reach the culture volume of 5 L in the cylindrical photobioreactor, and expected to be source of triglycerides and lipids for biodiesel ingredient.     

Die quenching limit of AA2024 aluminum alloy billet on servo press

Die quenching of AA2024 aluminum alloy billets was carried out on a servo press with ram-motion control of WC-20 mass%Co dies directly after solution heat treatment (SHT). To clarify the dependence on billet size for die quenching, two billets with a height of h₀ = 8 mm or 16 mm and with the same diameter of 16 mm were prepared. The cylindrical billets were heated in an electric furnace at 823 K and transferred to the press. Then the billets were uniaxially compressed with a reduction in height (Δh/h₀) of 2% or 5%, and further held between the dies. The sandwiching duration by dies (t_d.q.) was varied from 0 to 8 s. Based a measured temperature change, hardness and TG–DTA analysis, it is found that die quenching is successfully carried out without precipitation hardening only in the case of the billet with a height of 8 mm and t_d.q. > 6 s. The reduction in height is limited less than 5% by intergranular fracture on side surface of billet during the die quenching process.     

Estimation of element-based zero-stress state for arterial FSI computations

In patient-specific arterial fluid–structure interaction (FSI) computations the image-based arterial geometry comes from a configuration that is not stress-free. We present a method for estimation of element-based zero-stress (ZS) state. The method has three main components. (1) An iterative method, which starts with an initial guess for the ZS state, is used for computing the element-based ZS state such that when a given pressure load is applied, the image-based target shape is matched. (2) A method for straight-tube geometries with single and multiple layers is used for computing the element-based ZS state so that we match the given diameter and longitudinal stretch in the target configuration and the “opening angle.” (3) An element-based mapping between the arterial and straight-tube configurations is used for mapping from the arterial configuration to the straight-tube configuration, and for mapping the estimated ZS state of the straight tube back to the arterial configuration, to be used as the initial guess for the iterative method that matches the image-based target shape. We present a set of test computations to show how the method works.     

Design of Fully Balanced Analog Systems Based on Ordinary and/or Modified Single-Ended Opamps

The system architectures, which allow a high performance fully balanced (FB) system based on ordinary/modified single-ended opamps to be implemented, are investigated and the basic and general requirements are formulated. Two new methods of an FB analog system design, which contribute towards achieving both a high performance IC system implementation and a great reduction of the design time are presented. It is shown that a single-ended system based on any type of opamp (rail-to-rail, constant g _m , etc.), realized in any technology (CMOS, bipolar, BiCMOS, GaAs), can be easily and effectively converted to its FB counterpart in a very practical way. Using the proposed rules, any FB system implementation with opamps (data converter, modulator, filter, etc.) requires only a single-ended system version design and the drawbacks related to a conventional FB system design are avoided. The principles of the design are pointed out and they are verified by experimental results.     

Strong Surface‐Termination Effect on Electroresistance in Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions

Tunnel electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) has attracted considerable interest, because of a promising application to nonvolatile memories. Development of ferroelectric thin‐film devices requires atomic‐scale band‐structure engineering based on depolarization‐field effects at interfaces. By using FTJs consisting of ultrathin layers of the prototypical ferroelectric BaTiO₃, it is demonstrated that the surface termination of the ferroelectric in contact with a simple‐metal electrode critically affects properties of electroresistance. BaTiO₃ barrier‐layers with TiO₂ or BaO terminations show opposing relationships between the polarization direction and the resistance state. The resistance‐switching ratio in the junctions can be remarkably enhanced up to 10⁵% at room temperature, by artificially controlling the fraction of BaO termination. These results are explained in terms of the termination dependence of the depolarization field that is generated by a dead layer and imperfect charge screening. The findings on the mechanism of tunnel electroresistance should lead to performance improvements in the devices based on nanoscale ferroelectrics.