Analytic hierarchy based policy design method (AHPo) for solving societal problems that require a multifaceted approach

This paper proposes an AHP based statistical method for the design of a comprehensive policy alternative, AHPo, for solving societal problems that require a multifaceted approach. In the proposed method, criteria relevant to the goal or focus are structured in the same way as in the conventional AHP. However, these two methods are quite different in regard to the method of quantification. The new method predicts or analyses the impact of the policy alternatives on the overall goal. In other words, it predicts or rationalizes the way people appreciate the situation in which an alternative is adopted and implemented. It will serve as a tool for supporting (especially political) decision making.     

Determination of Quality Factor for Highly Overcoupled EPR Resonators

We reported determination of the loaded quality factor (Q) of highly overcoupled (dielectric, loop-gap, and cavity) resonators used in time-domain electron paramagnetic resonance. We introduced a microwave absorber into resonators and achieved critical-coupling. Due to the deep “Q-dip” of critical-coupling, we can easily determine the loaded Q as low as 10. The loaded Q of resonators with and without the microwave absorber was examined under various overcoupling conditions. We found that the radiation Q (Q _r) can be calculated from the loaded Q of the resonator that contains the microwave absorber. We proposed a simple model that represents the loaded Q of the overcoupled resonator in terms of two parameters, Q ₀ and Q _r. Q ₀ is the effective unloaded Q of the resonator determined for the critically coupled resonator without the microwave absorber and is independent of a degree of coupling. The model can be applied to overcoupling in which the coupling parameter (Q ₀/Q _r) is in the range of 1 to ca. 20.     

Screening and sequencing of complex sialylated and sulfated glycosphingolipid mixtures by negative ion electrospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

A protocol for negative ion nanoelectrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (-)nanoESI-FTICR MS, investigation of complex biological mixtures consisting of sialylated or sulfated glycosphingolipids (GSL) expressing high heterogeneity in the ceramide portion is described. Different instrumental and solvent conditions were explored and optimized to promote efficient ionization, reduce the in-source fragmentation and consequently enhance the detection of intact molecular species from complex mixtures. Using the novel optimized (-)nanoESI-FTICR MS protocol, a reliable and detailed compositional fingerprint of the polysialylated ganglioside mixture isolated from human brain was obtained. Sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry (SORI-CID MS2) was introduced for the first time for structural elucidation of polysialylated gangliosides. Under well-defined conditions, an informative fragmentation pattern of the trisialylated ganglioside GT1 was obtained. The compositional mapping of a complex mixture of sulfated glucuronic acid containing neolacto-series GSLs extracted from bovine Cauda equina provided hard evidence upon previously described components and new structures not identified before by any other analytical method. Negative ion nanoESI-FTICR MS at 9.4 T is shown here to represent a valuable method in glycolipidomics, allowing a high resolution and mass accuracy detection of major and minor GSL glycoforms and identification of known and novel biologically relevant structures.     

Structural changes during the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein monitored by ultraviolet resonance raman spectra of tyrosine and tryptophan

Photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is a bacterial blue light photoreceptor, and photoexcitation of dark-state PYP (PYP(dark)) triggers a photocycle that involves several intermediate states. We report the ultraviolet resonance Raman spectra of PYP with 225-250 nm excitations and investigate protein structural changes accompanying the formation of the putative signaling state denoted PYP(M). The PYP(M)-PYP(dark) difference spectra show several features of tyrosine and tryptophan, indicating environmental changes for these amino acid residues. The tyrosine difference signals show small upshifts with intensity changes in Y8a and Y9a bands. Although there are five tyrosine residues in PYP, Tyr42 and Tyr118 are suggested to be responsible for the difference signals on the basis of a global fitting analysis of the difference spectra at different excitation wavelengths and the crystal structure of PYP(dark). A further experiment on the Thr50-->Val mutant supports environmental changes in Tyr42. The observed upshift of the Y8a band suggests a weaker or broken hydrogen bond between Tyr42 and the chromophore in PYP(M). In addition, a reorientation of the OH group in Tyr42 is suggested from the upshift of the Y9a band. For tryptophan, the Raman bands of W3, W16, and W18 modes diminish in intensity upon formation of PYP(M). The loss of intensities is attributable to an exposure of tryptophan in PYP(M). PYP contains only one tryptophan (Trp119) that is located more than 10 A from the active site. Thus the observed changes are indicative of global conformational changes in protein during the transition from PYP(dark) to PYP(M). These results are in line with the currently proposed photocycle mechanism of PYP.     

On an intraparticle complex of cationic nanogel with a stoichiometric amount of bound polyanions

A polyelectrolyte nanogel (PENG) particle consisting of lightly cross-linked terpolymer chains of N-isopropylacrylamide, acrylic acid, and 1-vinylimidazole has positive charges in an aqueous medium at pH 3 due to protonation of the imidazole groups, and thereby forms a polyelectrolyte complex with the linear polyanion, potassium poly(vinyl alcohol) sulfate (KPVS). It has been demonstrated that the hydrodynamic radius (Rh), by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the radius of gyration (Rg), by static light scattering (SLS), of the complex particles are smallest at approximately 1:1 mixing ratio (rm) of anions to cations, in the absence of simple salts such as KCl (Langmuir 2005, 21, 4830). Here, we aimed to study the nature of the complex formed at rm=1 and examined the complex formation process by electrophoretic light scattering (ELS). It was found that the mobility of the cationic PENG with a stoichiometric amount of bound KPVS anions (i.e., the complex formed at rm=1) is positive but not zero at 25 degrees C. This was also the case when the complex was examined by ELS at 45 degrees C, where DLS and SLS show a temperature-driven collapse of the complex. We thus assumed that (a) electroneutrality is maintained in the complex particle with the aid of counterions, but (b) the complex is highly polarizable, and hence (c) during ELS the KPVS anions would dissociate in part from the complex. This hypothesis was supported by the following results: (i) Mixing complexed and uncomplexed PENG particles at different ratios brings about an increase in Rh and a decrease in the light scattering intensity of the complex at the same time, suggesting a polyelectrolyte exchange reaction. (ii) The same phenomenon is seen when poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA as a polysalt) is added to the complex dispersion, meaning that the PDDA takes out the KPVS from the complex to form a stable PDDA-KPVS complex. (iii) Upon addition of KCl, the complex undergoes little change in Rh (62-67 nm) at a salt concentration (Cs)0.2 M. (iv) The Rh (78 nm) of the soluble complex at Cs from 0.3 to 0.5 M is larger than that at Cs<0.02 M, suggesting dissociation of the KPVS ions. (v) Complexation between KPVS and PDDA as mentioned in (ii) is facilitated in the presence of 0.01 M KCl.     

Tropolone as a High‐Performance Robust Anchoring Group for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A tropolone group has been employed for the first time as an anchoring group for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSC based on a porphyrin, YD2‐o‐C8T, with a tropolone moiety exhibited a power‐conversion efficiency of 7.7 %, which is only slightly lower than that observed for a reference porphyrin, YD2‐o‐C8 , with a conventional carboxylic group. More importantly, YD2‐o‐C8T was found to be superior to YD2‐o‐C8 with respect to DSSC durability and binding ability to TiO₂. These results unambiguously demonstrate that tropolone is a highly promising dye‐anchoring group for DSSCs in terms of device durability as well as photovoltaic performance.     

Highly productive droplet formation by anisotropic elongation of a thread flow in a microchannel

We developed a microfluidic device to form monodisperse droplets with high productivity by anisotropic elongation of a thread flow, defined as a threadlike flow of a dispersed liquid phase in a flow of an immiscible, continuous liquid phase. The thread flow was anisotropically elongated in the depth direction in a straight microchannel with a step, where the microchannel depth changed. Consequently, the elongated thread flow was given capillary instability (Rayleigh-Plateau instability) and was continuously transformed into monodisperse droplets at the downstream area of the step in the microchannel. We examined the effects of the flow rates of the dispersed phase and the continuous phase on the droplet formation behavior, including the droplet diameter and droplet formation frequency. The droplet diameter increased as the fraction of the dispersed-phase flow rate relative to the total flow rate increased and was independent of the total flow rate. The droplet formation frequency proportionally increased with the total flow rate at a constant dispersed-phase flow rate fraction. These results are explained in terms of a mechanism similar to that of droplet formation from a cylindrical liquid thread flow by Rayleigh-Plateau instability. The microfluidic device described was capable of forming monodisperse droplets with a 160-microm average diameter and 3-microm standard deviation at a droplet formation frequency of 350 droplets per second from a single thread flow. The highest total flow rate achieved was 6 mL/h using the present device composed of a straight microchannel with a step. We also demonstrated parallel droplet formation by anisotropic elongation of multiple thread flows; the process was applied to form W/O and O/W droplets. The highly productive droplet formation process presented in this study is expected to be useful for future industrial applications.