Publications by authors named "S T Kuwano"

Fear and anxiety among patients are sometimes evoked in dental clinics due to the sound of dental drills. This study aimed to explore the impact of age-related hearing loss in the extended high frequency (EHF) range above 8 kHz on individuals' subjective discomfort towards dental drill noise. After measuring pure-tone audiometric thresholds at both conventional and extended high frequencies, we used a psychoacoustic approach to evaluate subjective impressions of four dental drill sound stimuli, which featured varying frequency components, in 62 participants (aged 12-67 years).

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In the chloroplast stroma, dynamic pH changes occur from acidic to alkaline in response to fluctuating light conditions. We investigated the pH dependency of the electron transfer reaction of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR) with ferredoxin (Fd) isoproteins, Fd1 and Fd2, which are localized in mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells, respectively, in the leaves of C4 plant maize. The pH-dependent profile of the electron transfer activity with FNR was quite different between Fd1 and Fd2, which was mainly explained by the opposite pH dependency of the Km value of these Fds for FNR.

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Article Synopsis
  • Selenocysteine-derived cyclic selenenyl amides are formed from Sec selenenic acids and are thought to play a protective role in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) function, although their properties were previously unstudied.
  • Recent research involving nuclear magnetic resonance has unveiled the formation of these cyclic selenenyl amides, offering new insights into their structure and reactivity.
  • The findings demonstrate that cyclic selenenyl amides possess a highly electrophilic nature, suggesting they can protect Sec-SeOHs in GPx and act as key intermediates in selenoprotein reactions.
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The -nitrosation in selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase to produce -nitrososelenocysteines (Sec-SeNOs) has been proposed to play crucial roles in signaling processes mediated by reactive nitrogen species and nitrosative-stress responses, although chemical evidence for the formation of Sec-SeNOs has been elusive not only in proteins but also in small-molecule systems. Herein, we report the first synthesis of a Sec-SeNO by employing a selenocysteine model system that bears a protective molecular cradle. The Sec-SeNO was characterized using H and Se nuclear magnetic resonance as well as ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy and found to have persistent stability at room temperature in solution.

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