Regulation of macrophage-specific gene expression by degenerated lipoproteins

The effect of aggregated low-density lipoprotein (agLDL) on cell viability and macrophage-specific gene expression using human peripheral blood monocytes in culture was investigated. AgLDL suppressed activation-induced cell death of phorbol ester-treated macrophages. The inhibition of apoptosis was accompanied by downregulation of apoptosis-promoting proteases, including interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE) and CPP32 and upregulation of anti-apoptotic cytokine (interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)). In contrast, macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) enhanced cell death of lipid-bearing macrophages, suggesting that the anti-atherogenic action of M-CSF is at least in part mediated through apoptotic elimination of macrophages. Then, we attempted to isolate the genes specifically induced by agLDL in macrophages using a subtraction-based cloning strategy. One of the genes isolated, termed LIG (LDL-inducible gene), encodes a human homolog of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. Ubiquitination of multiple intracellular proteins was observed in agLDL-treated macrophages, which coincided with upregulation of LIG. These results suggest that LIG acts as a direct mediator of foam cell formation through polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation of cellular proteins with apoptosis-inducing properties. The regulation of apoptosis by macrophage-specific gene expression may contribute to foam cell formation and atherosclerosis.     

Spin dynamics and orbital state in LaTiO3

A neutron scattering study of the Mott-Hubbard insulator LaTiO3 ( T(N) = 132 K) reveals a spin wave spectrum that is well described by a nearest-neighbor superexchange constant J = 15.5 meV and a small Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction ( D = 1.1 meV). The nearly isotropic spin wave spectrum is surprising in view of the absence of a static Jahn-Teller distortion that could quench the orbital angular momentum, and it may indicate strong orbital fluctuations. A resonant x-ray scattering study has uncovered no evidence of orbital order in LaTiO3.     

Direct coulomb and exchange interaction in artificial atoms

We determine contributions from the direct Coulomb and exchange interactions to the total interaction in artificial semiconductor atoms. We tune the relative strengths of the two interactions and measure them as a function of the number of confined electrons. The electrons tend to have parallel spins when they occupy nearly degenerate single-particle states. We use a magnetic field to adjust the single-particle-state degeneracy, and find that the spin configurations in an arbitrary magnetic field are well explained in terms of two-electron singlet and triplet states.     

Ultrafast optical switching from an ionic to a neutral state in tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil (TTF-CA) observed in femtosecond reflection spectroscopy

Ultrafast optical switching from an ionic ( I) to a neutral ( N) state in TTF-CA was observed in femtosecond reflection spectroscopy. Charge transfer excitation in the I phase produces N donor ( D0) acceptor ( A0) strings within 2 ps. These initial N states decay with a lifetime of 300 ps at 4 K, but rather multiply leading to macroscopic I-N conversion within 20 ps at 77 K just below the N-I transition temperature T(NI). Near T(NI), we also found the evidence for the coherent motion of the macroscopic N-I domain boundary with a period of 85 ps.     

Orbital-order-induced metal-insulator transition in La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO3

We present evidence that the insulator-to-metal transition in La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO3 near x approximately 0.2 is driven by the suppression of coherent Jahn-Teller distortions, originating from d-type orbital ordering. The orbital-ordered state is characterized by large long-range Q2 distortions below T(O'- O*). Above T(O'- O*) we find evidence for coexistence between an orbital-ordered and an orbital-disordered state. This behavior is discussed in terms of electronic phase separation in an orbital-ordered insulating and an orbital-disordered metallic state.     

Contrasting Magnetic Behaviors in Rhodium‐ and Ruthenium‐Doped Cubic Perovskite SrFeO3: Nearly Ferromagnetic Metal versus Spin‐Glass Insulator

The effects of Rh and Ru doping for SrFeO₃, a helimagnetic metal with a cubic perovskite structure, are studied by magnetic and resistivity measurements. Although SrRhO₃ is a paramagnetic metal and SrRuO₃ is a ferromagnetic one, the Rh doping induces a nearly ferromagnetic metallic state, whereas the Ru doping induces a spin‐glass insulating state. Mössbauer measurements evidence a marked difference between SrFe_0.8Rh_0.2O₃ and SrFe_0.8Ru_0.2O₃ in the formal valences of Fe, which are estimated to be 4+ and 3.75+, respectively. The contrasting magnetic behaviors of Rh‐ and Ru‐doped SrFeO₃ are discussed in terms of the subtle balance between the double‐exchange ferromagnetism and the superexchange antiferromagnetism.     

Synchrotron radiation spectroscopy of quasi-one-dimensional materials

The optical reflectivity spectra of quasi-one-dimensional polymers (SN)_x, trans-(CH)_x, and polydiacetylene are investigated in an energy range from 1 to 25 eV by use of synchrotron radiation. Observed structures associated with π-electron states are interpreted in terms of the quasi-one-dimensional one-electron bands calculated by the LCAO -type model.     

On the blue-colored species,possibly assignable to a radical cation,formed by the aromatic hydrocarbon–sulfur dioxide–oxygen system: The polymerization of olefins initiated by aromatic hydrocarbons–oxygen in liquid sulfur dioxide

It was found that styrene in liquid sulfur dioxide polymerizes, giving polystyrene readily and quantitatively by addition of such aromatic hydrocarbons as anthracene and trans- or cis-stilbene in the presence of oxygen, and the polymerization proceeds via a cationic process. The observations on the electronic spectra and kinetics in the system suggested that the polymerization was initiated by an electron transfer from the aromatic hydrocarbon to oxygen, followed by the formation of styrene radical cation. Supporting evidence of the radical cation is that 1,1-diphenylethylene in liquid sulfur dioxide in the presence of oxygen shows a peak at λ_max = 605 mμ and reacts to give benzophenone and 1,1,3,3-tetraphenyl-butene-1, which are eliminated by addition of a radical or cation inhibitor.