Benzoic Acid Serves as Precursor of Catalytic HAT Reagent in a Two-Molecule Photoredox System.

The photoinduced regioselective HAT reactions of acetals, ethers, and alcohols using benzoic acids in a two-molecule photoredox system led to the formation of new C-C bonds with alkenes under mild conditions. Aryl carboxy radicals generated from benzoic acids in a two-molecule photoredox system can function as catalytic HAT reagents, even though an excess amount of a hydrogen donor substrate is required. Various acetals, ethers, alcohols, and alkenes can be employed in the photoreaction to provide both high yields of adducts and high recoveries of benzoic acids.

Double difunctionalization of vinyl ether tethered nucleophile with electron-deficient alkene in two-molecule photoredox system.

Double difunctionalization of a vinyl ether tethered hydroxy or carbamoyl group with electron-deficient alkenes such as acrylonitrile or acrylic esters was achieved by visible-light irradiation in a two-molecule photoredox system. Use of anhydrous acetonitrile solution as a solvent promoted both dimerization of the radical cation of electron-rich alkene with electron-rich alkene and intramolecular nucleophilic addition to generate an electron-rich radical that was added to electron-deficient alkene to furnish the double difunctionalized product. A variety of electronically differentiated rich and deficient alkenes were used in the photoreaction; a simple construction of a complex carbon framework containing acetal from simple alkenes was successful under mild conditions.

Roles of excess minority carrier recombination and chemisorbed O species at SiO/Si interfaces in Si dry oxidation: Comparison between p-Si(001) and n-Si(001) surfaces.

This study provides experimental evidence for the following: (1) Excess minority carrier recombination at SiO/Si interfaces is associated with O dissociative adsorption; (2) the x-ray induced enhancement of SiO growth is not caused by the band flattening resulting from the surface photovoltaic effect but by the electron-hole pair creation resulting from core level photoexcitation for the spillover of bulk Si electronic states toward the SiO layer; and (3) a metastable chemisorbed O species plays a decisive role in combining two types of the single- and double-step oxidation reaction loops. Based on experimental results, the unified Si oxidation reaction model mediated by point defect generation [S. Ogawa et al.

Decarboxylative Side-Chain Functionalization of Aspartic/Glutamic Acids Using Two-Molecule Photoredox Catalysts.

The side-chain functionalization of aspartic/glutamic acid derivatives through photoinduced decarboxylation was achieved by using organic two-molecule photoredox catalysts without racemization under mild conditions. A facile process involving the preparation of substrates and photoinduced decarboxylative radical additions can provide easy access to the linked amino acids with carbohydrates and amino acids at the side chain.

9-Cyano-10-methoxycarbonylanthracene as a Visible Organic Photoredox Catalyst in the Two-Molecule Photoredox System.

Visible-light-induced decarboxylative and deboronative reactions using two-molecule organic photoredox catalysts, namely, phenanthrene (Phen) and biphenyl (BP), as electron donors and 9-cyano-10-methoxycarbonylanthracene as an electron acceptor were achieved. The high solubility of significantly improved the reaction efficiency and product yield. In addition, the facile tuning of the oxidation potential of the electron-donor molecule via the replacement of Phen with BP enabled the application of the two-molecule photoredox system to a wide range of substrates.

Constitutive cell surface expression of ZZ domain for the easy preparation of yeast-based immunosorbents.

We describe a novel expression cassette that enables efficient and constitutive expression of the ZZ domain derived from Staphylococcus aureus protein A on the yeast cell surface to easily prepare yeast-based immunosorbents. Using this expression cassette containing the PGK1 promoter, a secretion signal derived from α-factor, and a Flo1-derived anchor protein, we successfully created a yeast-based immunosorbent for human serum albumin.

Imaging of Oral SCC Cells by Raman Micro-Spectroscopy Technique.

We used Raman micro-spectroscopy technique to analyze the molecular changes associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells in the form of frozen tissue. Previously, Raman micro-spectroscopy technique on human tissue was mainly based on spectral analysis, but we worked on imaging of molecular structure. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of four components at the cell level (about 10 μm) to describe the changes in protein and molecular structures of protein belonging to malignant tissue.

Mechanical factors affecting the foot eversion moment during the stance phase of running in non-rearfoot strikers.

This study aimed to identify the primary factors that induce rearfoot external eversion moments due to ground reaction force (GRF) in non-rearfoot strikers. The data were compared with those of rearfoot strikers. Totally, 11 healthy males who were habitually non-rearfoot strikers ran barefoot.

Changes in the Ground Reaction Force, Lower-Limb Muscle Activity, and Joint Angles in Athletes with Unilateral Ankle Dorsiflexion Restriction During A Rebound-Jump Task.

Background: This study compared differences between a control group and a group with unilateral ankle dorsiflexion restriction in the ground reaction force (GRF), angles of the lower limbs joints, and muscular activity during a rebound-jump task in athletes who continue to perform sports activities with unilateral ankle dorsiflexion restriction.

Methods: The athletes were divided into the following two groups: The dorsiflexion group included those with a difference of ≥7° between bilateral ankle dorsiflexion angles (DF), and the control group included those with a difference of <7° between the two ankles (C). An ankle foot orthosis was attached to subjects in group C to apply a restriction on the right-angle dorsiflexion angle.

Formation of Proton Motive Force Under Low-Aeration Alkaline Conditions in Alkaliphilic Bacteria.

In Mitchell's chemiosmotic theory, a proton (H) motive force across the membrane (Δp), generated by the respiratory chain, drives FF-ATPase for ATP production in various organisms. The bulk-base chemiosmotic theory cannot account for ATP production in alkaliphilic bacteria. However, alkaliphiles thrive in environments with a H concentrations that are one-thousandth (ca.

A Case of Nonalcoholic Marchiafava-Bignami Disease with Left-Right Differential Agraphia of Chinese Characters.

We report a 68-year-old right-handed female who was admitted to our hospital complaining chiefly of incontinence and decreased activity. Her brain images showed characteristics of Marchiafava-Bignami disease, such as symmetrical abnormal signals localized in the corpus callosum. The patient had no drinking habits.

Impairments in the Comprehension of Indoor Object/Body Part Words and Family Relationships in a Patient with Aphasia due to Cerebral Infarction of the Left Parietal and Temporal Lobes.

The present report discusses the case of a 73-year-old right-handed man who exhibited signs of aphasia caused by cerebral infarction in the left temporoparietal region. Neuropsychological evaluation revealed that he had difficulty in comprehending words related to indoor objects, body parts, and family relationships, compared to his vocabulary comprehension in other semantic categories. Although several reports have described cases in whom category-specific impairments in word comprehension are observed, few have documented cases in whom these impairments are accompanied by impairments in the comprehension of words indicating family relationships.

Factors affecting premature plantarflexor muscle activity during hemiparetic gait.

In hemiparetic stroke survivors, premature plantarflexor muscle activity (PPF) often appears as a gait abnormality from terminal swing to the loading response on the paretic side. This study aimed to discern factors giving rise to PPF. Lower extremity function, spasticity magnitude, and gait electromyograms were assessed in 31 hemiparetic stroke survivors.

Characteristics of the life habits of obese students at one of Japan's National Colleges of Technology.

Aim This study clarified the characteristics of life habits of obese Japanese male students at the National Colleges of Technology, Japan. Materials and methods Healthy students aged 15-19 years answered a questionnaire containing 21 items on the following five categories of life habits: general exercise, meals, sleeping, leisure activity and illness or injury history. The subjects were divided into three groups based on the criteria of body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (%BF): non-obese (%BF < 20%, n = 420), overweight obese (%BF ≥ 20% and BMI ≥ 25, n = 99), and hidden obese (%BF ≥ 20% and BMI < 25, n = 60).

Walking gait changes after stepping-in-place training using a foot lifting device in chronic stroke patients.

[Purpose] The goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy of stepping-in-place training using a foot lifting assist device on the walking gait of chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. [Subjects] Seven patients with chronic hemiplegic stroke (age 80.9±4.

Changes in ground reaction force during a rebound-jump task after hip strength training for single-sided ankle dorsiflexion restriction.

[Purpose] Lateral ankle sprains are common injuries suffered while playing sports, and abnormal forward- and inward-directed ground reaction force occurs during a jumping task. However, the influence of hip muscle strength training on jumping performance after ankle injuries has not been fully examined. This study thus examined changes in ground reaction force during a rebound-jump task after training to strengthen hip muscles.

Hopf bifurcation analysis for a dissipative system with asymmetric interaction: Analytical explanation of a specific property of highway traffic.

A dissipative system with asymmetric interaction, the optimal velocity model, shows a Hopf bifurcation concerned with the transition from a homogeneous motion to the formation of a moving cluster, such as the emergence of a traffic jam. We investigate the properties of Hopf bifurcation depending on the particle density, using the dynamical system for the traveling cluster solution of the continuum system derived from the original discrete system of particles. The Hopf bifurcation is revealed as a subcritical one, and the property explains well the specific phenomena in highway traffic: the metastability of jamming transition and the hysteresis effect in the relation of car density and flow rate.

Alteration of cathepsin-D expression in atrophied muscles and apoptotic myofibers by hindlimb unloading in a low-temperature environment.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to elucidate the cathepsin-D involvement in signaling pathways for the survival and apoptosis of myofibers in rats with hindlimb-unloading in a low-temperature environment. [Subjects and Methods] Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a control group and a group that underwent hindlimb unloading in a low-temperature environment to induce muscle apoptosis. Cathepsin-D localization in the soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles, along with the expression of cathepsin-D in apoptotic myofibers, was examined.

Relationship between the ability to perform the sit-to-stand movement and the maximum pelvic anteversion and retroversion angles in patients with stroke.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the ability to perform the sit-to-stand movement and the maximum pelvic anteversion and retroversion angles of patients. [Subjects] Thirty-two stroke patients (66.7±7.

A comparison of at-home walking and 10-meter walking test parameters of individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify the difference in gait parameters of at-home walking and the 10-meter walking test results of individuals with hemiparesis. [Subjects] A total of 14 hemiparetic stroke recovery patients participated in this study. Inclusion criteria were: living at home, the ability to walk independently, and demonstrated low extremity on recovery stages III-V on the Brunnstrom Approach.

Age-related Changes in Maximum Pelvic Anteversion and Retroversion Angles Measured in the Sitting Position.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between age and the maximum pelvic anteversion and retroversion angles, as well as the associated pelvic range of motion, measured in a sitting position with free knee movement. [Subjects] A total of 132 healthy volunteers (74 women, 58 men; age range, 20-79 years) were divided into six groups based on age (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 years). [Methods] The maximum pelvic anteversion and retroversion angles were measured manually five times by a goniometer in a sitting position that allowed free movement of the knee joints.

Promotion of apoptosis and cytochrome c depletion by a low-temperature environment in hindlimb-unloading rats.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the influence of a low-temperature environment on muscle atrophy and apoptosis.

Methods: Wistar rats were divided into four groups: two groups of hindlimb-unloading rats maintained in a normal (25°C, HU) or low-temperature (10°C, HU+LT) environment for 3 weeks and two corresponding control groups (CON; normal temperature, CON+LT; low-temperature).

Results: The soleus muscle wet weight and muscle-to-body mass ratio were lower in the experimental groups than in the control groups.

Relationships between estimation errors and falls in healthy aged dwellers.

Background: Although fall predictions using motor ability have been well reported in elderly people, there are few reports on physical cognitive ability.

Objective: To examine the relationship of the results of motor function tests that include physical cognitive ability on the ability to predict falls and to determine which test is the most appropriate.

Methods: We studied 174 community-dwelling elderly adults (mean age 75.

Participation of ventral and dorsal tail muscles in bending movements of rat tail.

The rat controls the form of its tail, from straight to curved, by contraction and relaxation of its four tail muscles. The tendons of these muscles insert on any of the cranial articular, transverse, and hemal processes of each of 24 coccygeal vertebrae (Co5-Co28). In this study, we isolated for the four coccygeal muscles each muscular fascicle segment inserting on any process of the coccygeal vertebrae.