Wortmannin enhances CPP32-like activity during neuronal differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells induced by retinoic acid

P19 EC cells undergoes apoptosis during neuronal differentiation induced by retinoic acid. Two CPP32-like proteases, CPP32 and Mch-3, are expressed in untreated and retinoic acid-treated P19 EC cells. CPP32-like activity is remarkably increased in apoptosis during neuronal differentiation of P19 EC cells. Inhibition of CPP32-like proteases prevents apoptosis, suggesting that activation of CPP32-like proteases play central roles in the apoptosis during neuronal differentiation of P19 EC cells. Wortmannin, PI-3K inhibitor, enhances the CPP32-like activity of the retinoic acid-treated P19 EC cells. PI-3K may be involved in the apoptosis during neuronal differentiation as negative regulator.     

Analysis of amyloid deposition in a transgenic mouse model of homozygous familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy

Amyloid fibrils derived from the Japanese, Portuguese, and Swedish types of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy all consist of a variant transthyretin (TTR) with a substitution of methionine for valine at position 30 (TTR Met 30). In an attempt to establish an animal model of TTR Met-30-associated homozygous familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy and to study the structural and functional properties of human TTR Met 30, we generated a mouse line carrying a null mutation at the endogenous ttr locus (ttr-/-) and the human mutant ttr gene (6.0-hMet 30) as a transgene. In these mice, human TTR Met-30-derived amyloid deposits were first observed in the esophagus and stomach when the mice were 11 months of age. With advancing age, amyloid deposits extended to various other tissues. Because no significant difference was detected in the onset, progression, and tissue distribution of amyloid deposition between the ttr-/- and ttr+/+ transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30, endogenous normal mouse TTR probably does not affect the deposition of human TTR Met-30-derived amyloid in mice. TTR is a tetramer composed of four identical subunits that binds thyroxine (T4) and plasma retinol-binding protein. The introduction of 6.0-hMet 30 into the ttr-/- mice significantly increased their depressed serum levels of T4 and retinol-binding protein, suggesting that human TTR Met 30 binds T4 and retinol-binding protein in vivo. The T4-binding ability of human TTR Met 30 was confirmed by the analysis of T4-binding proteins in the sera of ttr-/- transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30. The T4-binding studies also demonstrated the presence of hybrid tetramers between mouse and human TTR subunits in the ttr+/+ transgenic mice expressing 6.0-hMet 30.     

An acoustic micrometer and its application to layer thickness measurements

The principle and system of the acoustic micrometer are described. Its basic performance, with respect to the stability, accuracy, spatial resolution, and temperature dependence, is also discussed. Gold layers electroplated on substrates of 42% Ni-Fe alloy were taken as test specimens in the present study. The measurable range of the thickness for gold layers covered from 1 to 20 mum when a frequency range of 10-200 MHz was used. Stability and accuracy were achieved to within +/-0.2% and +/-1%, respectively.     

Excitation of plate waves in thickness measurements of layers deposited on thin plates

Layer thickness measurements with an acoustic micrometer using pseudo-Sezawa waves in which ultrasonic waves are obliquely applied to a layered surface of a specimen have been proposed. A case in which the plate thickness of the specimen is so thin that it cannot be regarded as a half space is studied. A number of modes of plate waves are then excited in addition to pseudo-Sezawa waves. The plate waves, giving rise to the appearance of extra dips in the power spectrum of reflected waves, cause difficulties in the measurements. To prevent the excitation of plate waves, it is proposed that a mask of a sound-insulating material with a slit aperture should be placed on the layered surface of the specimen. Experiments and theoretical calculations, using lead frames of LSI chips as typical test specimens with thin substrates, were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method in preventing the excitation of plate waves.     

A novel architecture of dynamically reconfigurable fused multiply–adder for digital signal processing

Introduction

Multiply-accumulate operation is the most fundamental operation in digital signal processing for image processing, robotics and automatic control. In this paper, a novel architecture of dynamically reconfigurable fused multiply-adder (FMA) is proposed.

Methods

Dynamic reconfiguration is a method that can change the circuit configuration without stop of operation. The proposed circuit provides the following four calculation modes by dynamic reconfiguration: (1) complex number FMA mode, (2) real number FMA mode, (3) complex number parallel calculation mode, and (4) real number parallel calculation mode.  The data format is single precision floating point format based on IEEE754. The proposed circuit was designed using Verilog-HDL. It was simulated by logic circuit simulator, and implemented on FPGA.

Result

As a result of circuit synthesis, we confirmed the reduction of resource in the proposed circuit. Furthermore, we confirmed proper result for each calculation mode by logic simulation and experiment on FPGA.

Conclusion

The proposed circuit provides the four calculation modes by dynamic reconfiguration. We confirmed the reduction of resource and proper result for each calculation mode.     

Electric transfer function model of switched reluctance motors and model‐based current control design

This paper presents a current control design for switched reluctance motors (SRMs). The electric transfer characteristic of the motors is studied first. Their transfer function is shown to be expressible by a pure resistive component, which is not constant but varies depending on the motor current and speed. The current control design for SRMs follows the classical design technique used for DC machines, where the zeros of the PI controller cancel the poles of Ls+R. Because the transfer function of SRMs does not have any poles, an I controller is suitable for them. The integral gain should be adjusted in order to compensate the nonlinearity, that is, the variation in the equivalent resistor of the SRMs' transfer function. The values of the integral gain are tuned and tabulated for the motor speed and current. Simulation and experiment demonstrate that the current and speed of the SRMs present good responses without dependence on the motor speed and current. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 173(1): 51–59, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20987     

A firm as a dialectical being: towards a dynamic theory of a firm

Today, firms are facing many contradictions: efficiency versuscreativity; exploitation versus exploration; speed versus time-consumingresource building. This paper argues that a firm's capabilityto synthesize such contradictions is the key to understandingwhy a firm can be more efficient at producing knowledge thanmarket. A firm can create new knowledge and capability thatgo beyond the balancing point in the existing frontier withits synthesizing capability, which is embedded in its knowledgevision, its ba, its creative routines, its incentive systemsand its distributed leadership.     

Determination of age-related changes in the morphological structure (sagging) of the human cheek using a photonumeric scale and three-dimensional surface parameters

The usefulness of the photo standard for evaluating skin sagging in the face, especially in the cheeks, was evaluated. A six-stage photo standard was prepared using photos of women aged 17-83-years-old at three magnification rates (136-188 women in each group). Based on this photo standard, scoring was performed using a six-grade scoring system by two specialists to obtain the consensus score. Scoring was also performed in parallel by five general observers. The degree of agreement between the two scores was evaluated by calculating the Kappa value. In each group, the Kappa value was 0.452-0.563, indicating moderate agreement. Thus, the photo standard may be useful for evaluating sagging. Based on the photo standard, a score of 2, at which sagging becomes detectable appeared at the age of 40 years. In parallel, 3D analysis of replicas around the cheek was performed to morphologically analyse age-related changes in sagging. When the depth parameter was compared between the nasolabial groove and the mouth corners, a higher value was observed in the nasolabial groove until the age of 40 years, but higher values were seen in the mouth corners thereafter. This may have been because sagging in the cheeks descends to the area around the mouth, resulting in reversion in the sWv value. These findings indicated that sagging in the cheeks becomes morphologically distinct in women in their forties.     

In vivo immunological toxicity in mice of carbon nanotubes with impurities

The longstanding question as to whether carbon nanotubes are intrinsically toxic hinders their widespread industrial application. Here, we clarify the effect of impurities within such tubes through systemic studies of immunological responses in mice by monitoring and examining changes in peripheral T-cell subset and peripheral cytokine levels and histology. Contaminated and clean tubes were subcutaneously implanted in mice. The implanted tubes with impurities clearly induced immunological toxicity and localized alopecia, whereas extremely pure implanted tubes showed good biocompatibility. Our studies suggest that such high-temperature thermal treatment is an effective way to improve the biocompatibility of carbon nanotube.