Showing papers by "Utsunomiya University published in 1996"
TL;DR: Results show that the preferentially-absorbed quercetin glycosides in onions have markedly different biological properties compared with the aglycone.
Abstract: It has recently been shown by Hollman et al. (Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 62, 1276-1282) that flavonoid glycosides are preferentially absorbed from dietary onions compared to the flavonoid aglycone. In the light of this, we have compared the bioactivities of the two most abundant flavonoid glycosides that we have purified from onions (quercetin-3,4'-diglucoside and quercetin-4'-glucoside) to the quercetin aglycone, and also to the more commonly studied commercially-available flavonoid glycosides, rutin (quercetin-3-rutinoside) and isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-glucoside). Quercetin aglycone was the most effective inducer of the anticarcinogenic phase II marker enzyme, quinone reductase (QR), in mouse Hepalclc7 cells. Of the glycosides, only quercetin-4'-glucoside was able to induce QR activity in this assay. Inhibition of NADPH/iron- and ascorbate/iron-induced lipid peroxidation of human liver microsomes, and the Trolox C-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), were also measured. The 4'-glycosylation dramatically decreased activity in the 'antioxidant' assays, whereas 3-substitutions produced much smaller changes. These results show that the preferentially-absorbed quercetin glycosides in onions have markedly different biological properties compared with the aglycone.
156 citations
TL;DR: It may be that reason, self-consciousness and self-control which seem to sever human intellect so sharply from that of all other animals are really but secondary re- sults of the tremendous increase in the number, delicacy and complexity of associations which the human animal can form as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: [Ilt may be that … reason, self-consciousness and self-control which seem to sever human intellect so sharply from that of all other animals are really but secondary re- sults of the tremendous increase in the number, delicacy and complexity of associations which the human animal can form. It may be that the evolution of intellect has no breaks, that its progress is continuous from its first appearance to its present condition in adult … human beings. If we could prove that what we call ideational life and reasoning were not new and unexplainable species of intellectual life but only the natural consequences of an increase in the number, delicacy, and complexity of associations of the general animal sort, we should have made out an evolution of mind comparable to the evolution of living forms. (p. 286)
109 citations
72 citations
TL;DR: Several alcohols were examined as substrates for the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis by Paracoccus denitrificans as mentioned in this paper, and the bacterium synthesized a homopolyester of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from ethanol when n-pentanol was used as growth substrate.
Abstract: Several alcohols were examined as substrates for the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis by Paracoccus denitrificans The bacterium synthesized a homopolyester of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from ethanol When n-pentanol was used as growth substrate, homopolyester poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) was synthesized, whereas copolyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) accumulated during bacterial growth on n-propanol When alcohols were automatically fed as growth substrates, ethanol, n-propanol, and n-pentanol gave higher polyester content Although poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) was synthesized from methanol or n-butanol, its content was very low Under nitrogen-deficient conditions, polyester;content in cells increased, especially with ethanol, n-propanol, and n-pentanol Using a mixture of two alcohols P denitrificans could synthesize polyesters with varying relative ratios of 3-hydroxybutyrate to 3-hydroxyvalerate
47 citations
TL;DR: A 3.6-kb EcoRI-SalI fragment of Paracoccus denitrificans DNA hybridized with a DNA probe carrying the poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) synthase gene (phaC) of Alcaligenes eutrophus showed the presence of a 1,872-bp open reading frame (ORF), which corresponded to a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 69,537.
Abstract: A 3.6-kb EcoRI-SalI fragment of Paracoccus denitrificans DNA hybridized with a DNA probe carrying the poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) synthase gene (phaC) of Alcaligenes eutrophus. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this region showed the presence of a 1,872-bp open reading frame (ORF), which corresponded to a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 69,537. Upstream of the ORF, a promoter-like sequence was found. Escherichia coli carrying the fusion gene between lacZ and the ORF accumulated a level of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) that was as much as 20 wt% of the cell dry weight in the presence of beta-ketothiolase and acetoacetylcoenzyme A reductase genes of A. eutrophus. The ORF was designated phaCPd. A plasmid vector carrying the phaCPd9-9lacZ fusion gene downstream of the promoter-like sequence expressed beta-galactosidase activity in P. denitrificans. When a multicopy and broad-host-range vector carrying the ORF along with the promoter-like sequence was introduced into P. denitrificans, the PHA content in the cells increased by twofold compared with cells carrying only a vector sequence.
45 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that cilostazol increases NO synthesis in interleukin-1 beta-stimulated smooth muscle cells, at least partially through a cAMP-dependent pathway.
44 citations
TL;DR: The response of Japanese beech sprouts to canopy gaps in natural beech forest in central Japan was studied using two contrasted gaps in which tree-ring chronologies of regenerating stems were analyzed.
Abstract: The response of Japanese beech (Fagus japonica Maxim.) sprouts to canopy gaps in natural beech forest in central Japan was studied using two contrasted gaps in which tree-ring chronologies of regenerating stems were analyzed. The gaps were created by uprooting of a single Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata stem (diameter: 50 cm; gap size: 40 m2; 23 years old) and by concurrent uprootings of four F. japonica stools (gap size: 180 m2; 30 years old). Japanese beech sprouts emerged before and after the gap formation and dominated stem populations in both gaps. In gaps, growth of F. japonica sprouts was equal or lower than growth of stems of seed origin, but most sprouts (F. japonica, Acer mono var. marmoratum) appeared a few years before emergence of seedlings. The small gap created by single stem fall was dominated by some beech sprouts from stools adjacent to the gap. The multiple gap was not closed by beech sprouts from stools surrounding the gap, but some dominant beech stems were resprouts from the uprooted beech stools. The existence of a ‘sprout bank’ under the canopy may play an important role in the closing process of gaps in natural Japanese beech forest.
36 citations
01 Dec 1996
TL;DR: In this article, a hybrid heuristic of genetic algorithms and neighborhood search is developed for solving the problem of designing loop layout system with both of minsum and minmax congestion measures, and preliminary computational results are reported.
Abstract: A common layout for flexible manufacturing system is loop network with machines arranged in a cycle and materials transported in only one direction around the cycle. Congestion is a common measure for evaluating a loop layout. This paper investigates the problem of designing loop layout system with both of minsum and minmax congestion measures. A hybrid heuristic of genetic algorithms and neighborhood search is developed for solving such problem and preliminary computational results are reported.
35 citations
TL;DR: As a first step in understanding the calcification mechanism, a matrix protein in the gastrolith of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii was purified and sequenced and had tandemly repeated units not reported before at the central part of the sequence.
Abstract: As a first step in understanding the calcification mechanism, a matrix protein in the gastrolith of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii was purified and sequenced. The protein was insoluble in acid, but after trypsin digestion, it dissolved in 6M urea. The trypsin-digested protein dissolved in urea solution was purified by reversed-phase HPLC and designated gastrolith matrix protein fragment. The fragment had a molecular weight of 9658 and a blocked amino terminus. It had tandemly repeated units not reported before at the central part of the sequence, with each unit being Gly-Ser-X1-X2-Phe as the most typical sequence. This peptide was found associated with chitin, a main component of the organic matrix.
35 citations
TL;DR: Data suggest a tissue- and development-specific response of chicken IGF-I receptor gene expression to nutritional status, which is highly divergent from the human IGF- I receptor.
Abstract: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) exerts its effect through the IGF-I receptor. To investigate the effects of nutritional status on chicken IGF-I receptor gene expression, a solution hybridization/RNase protection assay for IGF-I receptor mRNA was developed. A cDNA clone corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal region of the IGF-I receptor was obtained by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Sequence analysis of the clone showed that this region of the chicken IGF-I receptor is highly divergent from the human IGF-I receptor. IGF-I receptor mRNA was detected in all tissues examined from newly hatched chickens. The rank order of the IGF-I receptor mRNA levels was liver < thigh muscle < stomach < heart < lung < kidney < brain. In 1-week-old chickens, 5 days of starvation caused a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in the mRNA in muscle and kidney. Starvation of 4-week-old chickens for 5 days caused a 1.7 to 2.2-fold increase in IGF-I receptor mRNA levels in kidney, liver, and muscle. In contrast, IGF-I receptor mRNA levels in brain failed to change. The mRNA levels were reduced to the control level by refeeding of the starved chickens for 24h. These data suggest a tissue- and development-specific response of chicken IGF-I receptor gene expression to nutritional status.
33 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that olfaction plays a major role in the preference of diets containing MCT or LCT in chickens.
TL;DR: In this article, the stability of monoatomic hydrogen in Si and GaAs crystals is studied by using quantum chemical Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap (INDO) method, and some interstitial positions are considered for a H-impurity and their energetical preferences are studied for an intrinsic, n-type and p-type semiconductors.
TL;DR: The effects of brassinosteroid on growth parameters of two day-neutral strawberries grown in a greenhouse were investigated and significantly increased total marketable berries and total yield per plant in 'Miyoshi', but it did not increase yields of 'Enrai'.
Abstract: The effects of brassinosteroid on growth parameters of two day-neutral strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. 'Miyoshi' and 'Enrai') grown in a greenhouse were investigated. In both cultivars, brassinosteroid increased total leaf areas by 150-180% and the number of leaves, petiole length, and number of crowns by 110-140% over the untreated control plants. Runner formation was unaffected by the brassinosteroid. Dry weights of leaves, petioles, crowns, and total organs of plants treated with brassinosteroid were heavier than those of untreated plants, whereas the dry weights of roots from treated plants were equally heavy as those of the control. Brassinosteroid significantly increased the total number of flowers and number of inflorescences per plant, but not the number of flowers per inflorescence. Brassinosteroid significantly increased total marketable berries and total yield per plant in 'Miyoshi', but it did not increase yields of 'Enrai'.
TL;DR: The present results suggest that the three‐dimensional structures of TRH precursors are highly conserved, although the primary structures ofTRH Precursors have diverged through the evolutionary pathway of vertebrates.
Abstract: Two types of cDNAs encoding thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) precursors (TRH-A and TRH-B) were amplified from hypothalamic mRNA of sockeye salmon by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The amplification was achieved using two primers which correspond to TRH progenitor sequence (Lys/Arg-Arg-Gln-His-Pro-Gly-Lys/Arg-Arg). A full length cDNA encoding TRH-A was obtained by 5'- and 3'-RACE methods. It has a length of 1324 base pairs (bp) that contains sequences of 5' and 3' untranslated regions and an open reading frame of 259 codons. The sockeye salmon TRH-A deduced from the nucleotide sequence tandemly contains 8 copies of TRH progenitor sequences. Another cDNA which encodes a part of TRH-B consists of 242 bp, and the sequence homology between TRH-A and -B cDNAs is 90%. The result of Southern blot analysis of sockeye and masu salmon genomic DNAs supported the evidence that there are at least two TRH genes in the salmonid. A RT-PCR analysis of TRH gene expression in various tissues of sockeye salmon showed that strong expression was observed only in the brain. The primary structure of the sockeye salmon TRH-A shares low similarity to those of human, rat and Xenopus TRH precursors (35, 27 and 44%, respectively). However, their hydropathy profiles were almost the same with each other. The profile of sockeye salmon TRH-A showed the presence of two discrete hydrophobic regions, one in the N-terminal region which corresponds to the signal peptide and the other in the C-terminal region. All of the repetitive TRH progenitor sequences are included in three hydrophilic regions easily recognizable. The present results thus suggest that the three-dimensional structures of TRH precursors are highly conserved, although the primary structures of TRH precursors have diverged through the evolutionary pathway of vertebrates.
TL;DR: In this article, the decays of Ds+ → μ+νμ from a sample of muonic one prong decay events detected in the emulsion target of Fermilab experiment E653 were observed.
11 Dec 1996
TL;DR: In this article, a two-degree-of-freedom type active noise control (ANC) with internal model control (IMC) in the feedback (FB) control is proposed to improve the performance for attenuation of road noise inside automobiles.
Abstract: This paper proposes a two-degree-of-freedom type active noise control (ANC) with internal model control (IMC) in the feedback (FB) control in order to improve the performance for attenuation of road noise inside automobiles. It is shown that a howling canceller in FB-ANC is equivalent to IMC, and that the proposed method proves to be effective from the standpoint of attenuation through experiments by computer simulation using data measured in an actual car.
TL;DR: These novel hybrid plants and derived progenies may be valuable materials for the genetic investigation and breeding of Brassiceae, including R. sativus.
Abstract: Intergeneric F 1 hybrids between Raphanus sativus (2n = 18, RR) and Moricandia arvensis (2n = 28, MaMa) have been produced through ovary culture followed by embryo culture, when M arvensis was used as a pistillate parent Six BC 1 plants were also obtained through ovary culture followed by embryo culture in the backcross of an amphidiploid F 1 hybrid with R sativus cv 'Pink ball' Two BC 1 plants were sesquidiploids (2n = 32, MaRR), and the other BC 1 plants were hyperploid with 2n = 55, having MaMaRRR genomes BC2 seeds were obtained by conventional pollination in the successive backcross of two sesquidiploid BC 1 plants with R sativus cv 'Pink ball' Their seed set percentages were 127% and 170%, respectively These novel hybrid plants and derived progenies may be valuable materials for the genetic investigation and breeding of Brassiceae, including R sativus
TL;DR: A new melanin biosynthesis inhibitor, melanoxazal, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Trichoderma sp.
Abstract: A new melanin biosynthesis inhibitor, melanoxazal, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Trichoderma sp ATF-451 by successive purification procedures of carbon adsorption, ethyl acetate extraction and silica gel column chromatography The inhibitor possesses a novel oxazole-containing structure with molecular formula, C8H9NO3 The structure was determined by means of NMR analyses to be (E)-4-(2'-formyl-3'-hydroxybuten-1'-yl) oxazole, which is related to melanoxadin Melanoxazal inhibited melanin formation in the larval haemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori; IC50 value = 301 micrograms/ml Melanoxazal also showed a strong inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase with IC50 value = 42 micrograms/ml
TL;DR: In this article, a method for the determination of trace amounts of molybdenum at ng l -1 levels in rainwater and snow is described, and the results show that the detection limit for molybenzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPA) is 0.54 ng l −1 based on a 1700-fold preconcentration.
Abstract: A method for the determination of trace amounts of molybdenum at ng l -1 levels in rainwater and snow is described. Molybdenum is extracted into xylene as a complex of N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPA), and subsequently back-extracted into 100 μl of nitric acid for a determination by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The extraction and micro-volume back-extraction allows molybdenum to be concentrated about 6000-fold. The back-extracted solution is suitable for the determination of molybdenum by GFAAS. The conditions of extraction and back-extraction, such as acidity, concentration of BPA, and amount of nitric acid, were investigated. The detection limit for molybdenum is 0.54 ng l -1 based on a 1700-fold preconcentration. The application of this method to the determination of molybdenum in various samples of rain-water and snow is demonstrated.
TL;DR: In this paper, the synthesis of a propellane sesquiterpene (±)-modhephene was achieved on the basic of a novel procedure to introduce the desired alkyl groups at both bridgeheads of a bicyclo.
01 Jan 1996
TL;DR: In this paper, a human interface system for multi-robot operation is constructed utilizing the WWW system, and it is confirmed that multiple robots can actually be operated by the system from a distant place.
Abstract: A novel concept of the integrated plant system is proposed where multiple robots work together with human operators. We have principally studied how to issue operation commands effectively through a human interface to let multiple robots work in the plant. A human interface system for multi-robot operation is constructed utilizing the WWW system. It is confirmed that multiple robots can actually be operated by the system from a distant place. By applying this system to a nuclear power plant model, we have been examining the performance of the cooperative work with human operators and multiple robots.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a layered strategy for mutual collision avoidance between multiple mobile robots based on static motion generation and dynamic motion generation of several levels, and a proper level of dynamic motion generator is selected for collision avoidance according to the complexity of the situation.
Abstract: This paper addresses mutual collision avoidance between multiple mobile robots based on a layered strategy. In this strategy, static motion generation and dynamic motion generation of several levels are provided, and a proper level of dynamic motion generation is selected for mutual collision avoidance according to the complexity of the situation. We have implemented two typical methods in the layered strategy, which are rule-based local collision avoidance and negotiation-based global one using communication. In each method, a robot detects collision and applies as a local method as possible. Experimental results show two actual mobile robots can achieve mutual collision avoidance based on the layered strategy.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a novel method for resonance characteristics of an elliptic dielectric disk resonator, where electromagnetic energy propagates as a whispering gallery (WG) mode along the edge region of the dielectrics.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel calculation method for resonance characteristics of an elliptic dielectric disk resonator. In the elliptic resonator, electromagnetic energy propagates as a whispering gallery (WG) mode along the edge region of the dielectric disk. In the novel analysis, a local propagation constant of the WG mode at each point of the elliptic disk edge is represented by a propagation constant of a WG mode in a circular disk whose radius of curvature, material constants, and thickness are equal to those of the elliptic disk. Therefore, we can easily calculate the resonance characteristics of the elliptic dielectric disk resonator by applying a conventional technique for the circular dielectric disk. The calculated results of the resonant frequencies and field distribution are well confirmed by experiments.
TL;DR: The phenylurea-type cytokinin, 4-PU, was effective for plantlet regeneration from the mesophyll protoplasts of B. platyphylla var.japonica, suggesting that there is potential for the use of 4- PU in the culture of protoplast in many forest tree species.
Abstract: InBetula platyphylla var.japonica, colonies were induced efficiently from mesophyll protoplasts cultured in half strength MS (1/2MS) liquid medium containing 0.6 M mannitol, 0.09M sucrose and 1 μM 4-PU and 1 μM NAA at a cell density of 5 × 10(4)/ml. The colonies grew actively and developed into callus after 3 months of culture.Roots differentiated from the protoplast-derived white calluses cultured on the 1 /2MS solid media supplemented with 0.1-1 μM 4-PU and 1 μM NAA, and 10 μM zeatin with no supplementation of NAA. Furthermore, the protoplast-derived green callus differentiated shoots with 1/2MS solid medium containing 1 μM 4-PU or 10 μM zeatin with no supplementation of NAA. When shoots obtained were cultured on the cytokinin-free MS solid medium with 2.5 μM IBA and 0.1 μM NAA, they rooted and developed into plantlets after one month of culture.The phenylurea-type cytokinin, 4-PU, was effective for plantlet regeneration from the mesophyll protoplasts ofB. platyphylla var.japonica. This suggests that there is potential for the use of 4-PU in the culture of protoplasts in many forest tree species.
TL;DR: In this article, a characteristic microdomain structure in monolayers of the cadmium salt of heptadecafluorononadecanoic acid was found by atomic force microscopy.
TL;DR: The optical guiding of an intense electromagnetic wave is demonstrated with the use of high power microwaves in a preformed plasma density channel, showing fairly good coincidence.
Abstract: The optical guiding of an intense electromagnetic wave is demonstrated with the use of high power microwaves in a preformed plasma density channel. The high power microwaves make a duct into the overdense area by the ponderomotive force in a preformed density channel and are guided along the duct to remain within it. The parametric dependencies are investigated to be compared with the results obtained from numerical calculation, showing fairly good coincidence.
01 Mar 1996
TL;DR: P Parsing of superficial symptoms such as a student's errors in arithmetic essentially reveals the deep structure of the buggy knowledge of the student so that teachers may now devise and offer a more effective means of instructions for acquiring the correct skill of arithmetic.
Abstract: This paper develops a buggy model-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) capable of diagnosing multiple bugs, pinpointing not only their types but also their exact locations involved. The procedural grammar of context free type is used not only to decompose a complicated procedure involving possible steps of both correct and incorrect arithmetic into simplest, 'primitive' procedures but also to express control knowledge essential to implementing an efficient parser. An efficient parser is implemented by narrowing down the search space, exploiting the control knowledge, the selection and consistency conditions in selecting rules in parsing. Parsing of superficial symptoms such as a student's errors in arithmetic essentially reveals the deep structure of the buggy knowledge of the student so that teachers may now devise and offer a more effective means of instructions for acquiring the correct skill of arithmetic.
03 Oct 1996
TL;DR: The normalization experiments suggest that the non-uniform scaling of the vocal tract was not significant and back/front cavity volume in addition to the vocal tracts length is an important factor to describe speaker individualities.
Abstract: Three dimensional vocal tract shapes of three males and three females were measured from the magnetic resonance images that were taken during sustained phonation of the five Japanese vowels. Dimensional differences in the vocal tract length of the subjects were quantitatively measured by dividing the entire vocal tract into the oral, the pharyngeal and the laryngeal sections. To investigate main factors that contribute to the differences of the formant patterns, uniform and non-uniform normalization methods were applied to the vocal tract shapes. The formant frequencies were also computed from the normalized area functions and compared. The results show that the physiological dimensions of the vocal tract continuously distributed from females to males. The normalization experiments suggest that the non-uniform scaling of the vocal tract was not significant and back/front cavity volume in addition to the vocal tract length is an important factor to describe speaker individualities.