Phase-Plane Invariant Analysis of Pressure Fluctuations in Fluidized Beds

Partial agglomeration is a major problem in fluidized beds. A chaotic analytical method based on the phase-plane invariant of the pressure fluctuations in the fluidized beds has been used to warn of ag-glomeration at an early stage. Cold tests (no combustion) and hot tests (combustion) in fluidized beds show that the phase-plane invariant of the pressure fluctuations can distinguish the dynamic behavior of fluidized beds with different flow rates in cold tests. With combustion, when the flow rate was kept constant, agglom-eration was detected very early by looking at the phase-plane invariant. The phase-plane invariant can be used to distinguish changes in fluidized beds due to changes in the flow rate, agglomeration, or various other factors. Therefore, this reliable agglomeration early warning system can be used for better control of circulating fluidized beds.     

Neural crest origins of the neck and shoulder

The neck and shoulder region of vertebrates has undergone a complex evolutionary history. To identify its underlying mechanisms we map the destinations of embryonic neural crest and mesodermal stem cells using Cre-recombinase-mediated transgenesis. The single-cell resolution of this genetic labelling reveals cryptic cell boundaries traversing the seemingly homogeneous skeleton of the neck and shoulders. Within this assembly of bones and muscles we discern a precise code of connectivity that mesenchymal stem cells of both neural crest and mesodermal origin obey as they form muscle scaffolds. The neural crest anchors the head onto the anterior lining of the shoulder girdle, while a Hox-gene-controlled mesoderm links trunk muscles to the posterior neck and shoulder skeleton. The skeleton that we identify as neural crest-derived is specifically affected in human Klippel-Feil syndrome, Sprengel's deformity and Arnold-Chiari I/II malformation, providing insights into their likely aetiology. We identify genes involved in the cellular modularity of the neck and shoulder skeleton and propose a new method for determining skeletal homologies that is based on muscle attachments. This has allowed us to trace the whereabouts of the cleithrum, the major shoulder bone of extinct land vertebrate ancestors, which seems to survive as the scapular spine in living mammals.     

Lipid peroxidation caused by chinoform-ferric chelate in cultured neural retinal cells

Incorporation of chinoform-ferric chelate was demonstrable in cultured neural retinal cells of chick embryos after 1 h of incubation, and the lipid peroxide level in the cells was increased strikingly 1 h thereafter. On the other hand, free ferric ions were scarcely incorporated into the cells, and a significant increase in the lipid peroxide level in the cells was not observed. These data indicate that chinoform is carrier of iron for its passage through cell membranes and that the incorporated iron induces lipid peroxidation which in turn leads to neural cell degeneration.     

Interconversion of cortisol and cortisone in theMacaca mulatta

Zusammenfassung Die Umwandlung von Kortisol in Kortison und umgekehrt wird nach Injektion von radioaktiven Steroiden bei einem weiblichen Affen (Macaca mulatta) untersucht. Es konnte festgestellt werden, dass im Blut Kortisol relativ rasch in Kortison umgewandelt wurde, während umgekehrt Kortison wesentlich langsamer umgewandelt wird.     

Structure and function of a membrane component SecDF that enhances protein export

Protein translocation across the bacterial membrane, mediated by the secretory translocon SecYEG and the SecA ATPase, is enhanced by proton motive force and membrane-integrated SecDF, which associates with SecYEG. The role of SecDF has remained unclear, although it is proposed to function in later stages of translocation as well as in membrane protein biogenesis. Here, we determined the crystal structure of Thermus thermophilus SecDF at 3.3?? resolution, revealing a pseudo-symmetrical, 12-helix transmembrane domain belonging to the RND superfamily and two major periplasmic domains, P1 and P4. Higher-resolution analysis of the periplasmic domains suggested that P1, which binds an unfolded protein, undergoes functionally important conformational changes. In vitro analyses identified an ATP-independent step of protein translocation that requires both SecDF and proton motive force. Electrophysiological analyses revealed that SecDF conducts protons in a manner dependent on pH and the presence of an unfolded protein, with conserved Asp and Arg residues at the transmembrane interface between SecD and SecF playing essential roles in the movements of protons and preproteins. Therefore, we propose that SecDF functions as a membrane-integrated chaperone, powered by proton motive force, to achieve ATP-independent protein translocation.     

从《世阿弥传书》到《匠明》:能乐观演空间尺度体系的传承与演变

本文以日本传统能乐艺术的集大成者、能乐师世阿弥的传书为研究对象,从他在室町时代(1338—1573) 前期对能乐观演空间的言论中分析、总结出世阿弥对能乐观演空间设计尺寸的原理性认识。其后,将世阿弥的设计尺寸理论与江户初期成书的建筑技术书《匠明》中对能乐观演空间的设计尺寸的规定进行比较,考察两者之间的变化。最终,总结了江户时代(17 世纪初)对室町时代能乐观演空间尺寸体系的继承以及演变。     

Hybrid Polyaniline Systems under Chiral and Redox Control

Polyanilines are one of the promising electrically conducting π-conjugated polymers with chemical stability. In recent year, there has been increased interest in chiral induction of polyanilines because of their potential use in diverse areas. Chiral polyaniline has been reported to be formed only by the chiral acid dopant. In our previous papers, complexation of polyanilines or their oligomers with transition metals modulates the redox properties of the quinonediimine unit, which is related to the catalytic function in the oxidation reaction. The controlled complexation with palladium（ Ⅱ ） compounds has been achieved to afford the cross-linked network conjugated complexes, in which the quinonediimine moieties serve as bridging coordination sites.