Revolving Vernier Mechanism Controls Size of Linear Homomultimer

A new kind of the Vernier mechanism that is able to control the size of linear assembly of DNA origami nanostructures is proposed. The mechanism is realized by mechanical design of DNA origami, which consists of a hollow cylinder and a rotatable shaft in it connected through the same scaffold. This nanostructure stacks with each other by the shape complementarity at its top and bottom surfaces of the cylinder, while the number of stacking is limited by twisting angle of the shaft. Experiments have shown that the size distribution of multimeric assembly of the origami depends on the twisting angle of the shaft; the average lengths of the multimer are decamer, hexamer, and tetramer for 0°, 10°, and 20° twist, respectively. In summary, it is possible to affect the number of polymerization by adjusting the precise shape and movability of a molecular structure.     

Prediction model of time diversity using Japan rain radar data

The effects of rain attenuation on communication systems will become more pronounced in future satellite communication systems, especially with the planned use of the 21‐GHz band or higher‐frequency bands. Diversity techniques provide a solution to mitigate rain attenuation effects. This study proposes a time diversity technique, one such technique that is likely to demonstrate high effectiveness. To model the system, rainfall rate statistics are necessary, and reliability is improved as the amount of statistical data increases. This paper derives the cumulative distribution of the rainfall rate across Japan over 4 years using rain radar data from the automated meteorological data acquisition system and ground‐based rain radar network and evaluates the rainfall rate at 23 observation points across Japan. We carry out a performance evaluation for all locations within Japan to confirm the efficiency of the time diversity method. Finally, we propose prediction model of the time diversity gain for Japan and other significant parameter which is time correlation of rainfall rate that was found from the time diversity results for further investigation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Surface characteristics of chemical conversion coating for Mg-Al alloy

The chemical conversion coating was formed on Mg alloy for low cost and harmlessness in environment by using the colloidal silica as the main component. The film formed at 298 K was thick, which was thought to be the combination of Si and O. In salt spray test, the ratio of black rust on the specimen that did not conducted chemical conversion treatment was five times or more than those of the chemical conversion treated specimen. The film of chemical conversion coating produced by alkali treatment process was thinner than the specimen produced in basic chemical conversion treatment solution.     

Bi-Cu film deposition in aqueous solutions

The relatively uniform bismuth-copper film was electrodeposited between −15 and −20 mV in the sulfate electrolyte containing 4 mmol/L bismuth ion and 2 mmol/L copper ion. Only copper was electrodeposited at −5 mV. The dendritic bismuth-copper film was electrodeposited under −20 mV. The cathodic current became constant between −20 and −400 mV. Therefore, bismuth-copper electrodeposition changes from charge transfer controlling to diffusion controlling at −20 mV. On the other hand, the uniform bismuth-copper film was electrodeposited between −5 and −35 mV in the methanesulfonate electrolyte containing 4 mmol/L bismuth ion and 2 mmol/L copper ion. The dendritic bismuth-copper film was electrodeposited under −35 mV. The potential region for good electrodepositon in methanesulfonate electrolyte is wider than that in sulfate electrolyte. Therefore, it is easy to control electrodeposition conditions by using methanesulfonate electrolyte.     

Decrease in ac partial discharges on insulating materials by use ofdye additives

The purpose of this study is to decrease PD at a triple junction by addition of a dye to an insulating material. PD is produced on a test specimen subjected to ac voltage under a sphere-plane electrode configuration. The specimen is composed of two layers: a PMMA film with additive, which is 100 μm thick; the lower layer a PMMA board 3 mm thick. The film with the additive was prepared by the solution-grown casting method. Five kinds of dye were used as the additive; p-aminoazobenzene (Ab), p-nitrobenzeneazoresorcinol (Nb), methyl yellow (My), methylene blue (Mb) and methyl red (Mr). In the case of the films with Ab and Mb at 0.05% wt, the magnitude and number of PD pulses were reduced to ~50% less than those in the case of the films without the additive. The decrease in PD was effective under an electric field strength slightly higher than the PD inception. In the case of the other dyes, decrease in PD was not observed. The surface voltage distribution due to the charge by PD depended on the kind of dye additive. The decrease in PD for the Ab and Mb films was explained from the dependence of the surface voltage distribution on the dye. It was concluded that ionization of the dye molecules in the film changes the distribution of surface voltage     

Survey of noise exposure level of national forestry workers

Eighty-one national forestry workers who were using chain saws, log cutters, log cutting machines, bush cleaners, timber-collecting cable machines and forklifts were examined for their level of noise exposure in a working day by using a portable sound meter. And their noise exposure levels Leq (8 h) for a year were estimated based on the measured noise levels and on the number of noise exposure days and hours in a year recorded in their work documents. The survey was made from July to December, 1988. The maximum noise levels with all the machines except a case of the forklift were above 100 dB, and with most chain saws they were above 110 dB. The amount of time that workers were exposed to the noise of logging and lumbering with chain saws, cutting by bush cleaners and timber-collecting cable machines without a cabin was longer than the allowable time for 90 dB and 95 dB. The number of noise exposure days in a year is fewer than reported in the past. The estimated Leq (8 h) for 32 out of 34 lumbermen surveyed was more than 85 dB, and for 5 lumbermen the Leq (8 h) was more than 90 dB. From these results, it can be concluded that there is a danger of noise induced hearing loss in national forestry workers using chain saws, log cutters, log cutting machines and timber-collecting cable machines without a cabin in 1987.     

Experimental glaucoma model in the rat induced by laser trabecular photocoagulation after an intracameral injection of India ink

A combined hemostatic defect consisting of a reduction in certain procoagulants, anticoagulants (antithrombin III-ATIII-, protein C-PC-) and components of the fibrinolytic system (plasminogen-Plg-) was demonstrated in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBW <1,500 g) with gestational age 26-32 weeks. Sixteen of them were healthy, 28 were suffering from RDS and 24 from septicemia. The hemostatic defect was more profound in the RDS group, nevertheless increased TAT (thrombin + ATIII complex) and/or PAP values (plasmin + a2-antiplasmin complex) was a more frequent finding in the septicemic group of infants (91.8 vs. 17.9%). Moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia was detected in a higher percentage in the septicemic (70.8%) than in the RDS group (50%), and increased D-dimers were demonstrated in 34.8 and 28.6% of the infants, respectively. Elevated TAT or PAP values were not always associated with gross coagulation abnormalities, and advanced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was only documented in 16.7% of the septicemic and 7.1% of the RDS infants. None of the VLBW neonates presented with clinical evidence of thrombosis, although hemorrhagic manifestations were apparent in 34.8 and 14.3% of the neonates with septicemia or RDS, respectively, mainly due to DIC or severe thrombocytopenia. In conclusion, increased TAT and/or PAP values are good indicators of the in vivo activation of the hemostatic system, but still their impact on sick neonates morbidity and mortality remains unknown.     

Properties and structure of spermidine acetyltransferase in Escherichia coli

Spermidine acetyltransferase (SAT) from Escherichia coli was purified about 40,000-fold. The molecular mass of native SAT was 95 kDa, and it consisted of four identical subunits. The products formed from the reaction of acetyl-CoA with spermidine by SAT were N1- and N8-acetylspermidine. The Km values for acetyl-CoA, spermidine, and spermine were 2 microM, 1.29 mM, and 220 microM, respectively. The enzymatic activity increased by 2.5-3.5-fold under the condition of poor nutrition but not in response to cold shock or high pH. By using synthetic oliogonucleotides deduced from amino acid sequences of the peptides in SAT, a polymerase chain reaction product with a length of 250 nucleotides was obtained. Using this polymerase chain reaction product, the gene encoding SAT (speG) was cloned and mapped at 35.6 min in the E. coli chromosome. E. coli cells transformed with the cloned speG gene increased SAT activity by 8-40-fold. The gene encoded a 186-amino acid protein, but SAT consisted of 185 amino acids because the initiator methionine was liberated from the protein. Thus, the predicted molecular mass was 21,756 Da. Significant similarity to aminoglycoside acetyltransferase and peptide N-acetyltransferase was observed in the amino acid sequence 87-141, and some similarity with spermidine-preferential binding protein (potD protein) in the spermidine-preferential uptake system was observed in the amino acid sequence 122-141. The results suggest that the active center of SAT may be located in the COOH-terminal portion.