The recent accumulation of large amounts of 3D structural data warrants a sensitive and automatic method to compare and classify these structures. We developed a web server for comparing protein 3D ...structures using the program Matras (http://biunit.aist-nara.ac.jp/matras). An advantage of Matras is its structure similarity score, which is defined as the log-odds of the probabilities, similar to Dayhoff's substitution model of amino acids. This score is designed to detect evolutionarily related (homologous) structural similarities. Our web server has three main services. The first one is a pairwise 3D alignment, which is simply align two structures. A user can assign structures by either inputting PDB codes or by uploading PDB format files in the local machine. The second service is a multiple 3D alignment, which compares several protein structures. This program employs the progressive alignment algorithm, in which pairwise 3D alignments are assembled in the proper order. The third service is a 3D library search, which compares one query structure against a large number of library structures. We hope this server provides useful tools for insights into protein 3D structures.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterised by infiltration of immune cells into the affected synovium, release of inflammatory cytokines and degradative ...mediators, and subsequent joint damage. Both innate and adaptive arms of the immune response play a role, with activation of immune cells leading to dysregulated expression of inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines work within a complex regulatory network in RA, signalling through different intracellular kinase pathways to modulate recruitment, activation and function of immune cells and other leukocytes. As our understanding of RA has advanced, intracellular signalling pathways such as Janus kinase (JAK) pathways have emerged as key hubs in the cytokine network and, therefore, important as therapeutic targets. Tofacitinib is an oral JAK inhibitor for the treatment of RA. Tofacitinib is a targeted small molecule, and an innovative advance in RA therapy, which modulates cytokines critical to the progression of immune and inflammatory responses. Herein we describe the mechanism of action of tofacitinib and the impact of JAK inhibition on the immune and inflammatory responses in RA.
An Nd:YAG laser-based sodium temperature/wind lidar was developed for the measurement of the northern polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere at Tromsø (69.6N, 19.2E), Norway. Coherent light at 589 ...nm is produced by sum frequency generation of 1064 nm and 1319 nm from two diode laser end-pumped pulsed Nd:YAG lasers. The output power is as high as 4W, with 4 mJ/pulse at 1000 Hz repetition rate. Five tilting Cassegrain telescopes enable us to make five-direction (zenith, north, south, east, west) observation for temperature and wind simultaneously. This highly stable laser system is first of its kind to operate virtually maintenance-free during the observation season (from late September to March) since 2010.
The stable conductive oxide Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 (SLT), instead of the conventional Ni-zirconia, is applied as supporting porous substrate for an SOFC single cell. Four different composite anode materials: ...Ni-SSZ (SSZ: (ZrO2)0.89(Sc2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.01), Ni-GDC (GDC: Ce0.9Gd0.1O2), Ni-GDC-SLT, and GDC-SLT were prepared. The porous thick Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 substrate was stable enough during 50 redox cycles so that OCV showed no decrease during the cycling test. Moreover, the electrochemical performance, redox stability, and performance degradation during the cycling tests were mainly determined by the different electrical and catalytic properties of the composite anode materials.
•Redox-stable La-doped SrTiO3 is useful as the SOFC anode substrate.•Thin electrolyte is stable on the Sr0.9La0.1TiO3 substrate.•Redox stability and high performance of anode-supported SOFCs are demonstrated.
We performed observations of pulsating aurora (PsA) with an optical spectrograph at Tromsø, Norway, during wintertime in 2016–2017. The data analysis of multiple PsA events revealed the PsA spectra ...for the first time. As the results, the OI 630.0‐nm emissions and the N2 1PG emissions were found in the both spectra during brighter (ON) and darker (OFF) phases in the PsA events. The spectra of pulsations were derived as difference spectra between the ON and OFF spectra. From the obtained spectra of pulsations, it is found that dominant pulsations at 630.0 nm were coming from the N2 1PG (10,7) band, and there were less or minor contributions of the OI 630.0 nm to pulsations at 630.0 nm.
Key Points
Pulsating aurora events were observed by an optical spectrograph
ON and OFF spectra showed OI 630.0‐nm and N2 1PG emissions
Dominant pulsations around 630.0 nm were due to N2 1PG (10,7) emissions
“Background-free” spectra of inelastic α-particle scattering have been measured at a beam energy of 385 MeV in 90,92Zr and 92Mo at extremely forward angles, including 0°. The ISGMR strength ...distributions for the three nuclei coincide with each other, establishing clearly that nuclear incompressibility is not influenced by nuclear shell structure near A∼90 as was claimed in recent measurements.
•The transition of crack driving force in bending specimen which is important for simplified method of arrest toughness evaluation is clarified by FEM analyses and experiments measured ...elaborately.•It is revealed that crack driving force is much decreased when crack penetrated into plastic pre-compression area.•Dynamic stress intensity factor, Kd calculated using the stress value at the position having the singularity of 1/r seems a good index that can explain arrest both under tension and bending.
Brittle fracture is a catastrophic failure that must be avoided for steel structures. In order to prepare the case that brittle fracture occurs due to fatigue crack propagation from welding defects and toughness deterioration of heat affected zone, etc., the concept of stopping brittle crack propagation in the base material is being applied to the tank and ship fields. In this paper, the target is to develop a method to conveniently evaluate this brittle crack propagation stop characteristic, based on a bending load which can bring a dramatic decrease in load comparing tensile load system which is ordinary and expensive. Especially the transient history of stress field is evaluated thoroughly and suitable fracture criterion for description of crack propagation is investigated. As a result, it was found that when the high-speed crack propagated to the part subjected to the pre-compression, the stress field at the tip sharply dropped, and it becomes easier to stop. In order to investigate the detail of the transition of stress field, the authors constructed a finite element model that can take these into account and eventually developed a new evaluation method based on bending load.
We isolated eight highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses (H5N8 HPAIVs) in the 2014/15 winter season at an overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan. Genetic analyses revealed that these ...isolates were divided into three groups, indicating the co-circulation of three genetic groups of H5N8 HPAIV among these migratory birds. These results also imply the possibility of global redistribution of the H5N8 HPAIVs via the migration of these birds next winter.
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