Segmental motions of proteins under non-native states evaluated using quasielastic neutron scattering

Fujiwara, Satoru*; Matsuo, Tatsuhito*; Sugimoto, Yasunobu*; Shibata, Kaoru

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (Internet), 10(23), p.7505 - 7509, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03196

Characterization of the dynamics of disordered polypeptide chains is required to elucidate the behavior of intrinsically disordered proteins and proteins under non-native states related to the folding process. Here we develop a method using quasielastic neutron scattering, combined with small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering, to evaluate segmental motions of proteins as well as diffusion of the entire molecules and local side-chain motions. We apply this method to RNase A under the unfolded and molten-globule (MG) states. The diffusion coefficients arising from the segmental motions are evaluated and found to be different between the unfolded and MG states. The values obtained here are consistent with those obtained using the fluorescence-based techniques. These results demonstrate not only feasibility of this method but also usefulness to characterize the behavior of proteins under various disordered states.

3D-microstructure analysis of compacted Na- and Cs-montmorillonites with nanofocus X-ray computed tomography and correlation with macroscopic transport properties

Takahashi, Hiroaki*; Tachi, Yukio

Applied Clay Science, 168, p.211 - 222, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2018.11.008

Microstructural and mass transport properties of compacted Na- and Cs-montmorillonites with different swelling properties were investigated by combining 3D microstructure analysis using nanofocus X-ray CT and diffusion measurement of HDO. The X-ray CT observations indicated that macropores in the dry state of compacted Na-montmorillonite are filled with gel phases, and the grain sizes of clay particles shifted toward smaller values through the saturation and swelling processes. By contrast, no gel phase and no decrease in the grain and pore volumes were observed for saturated Cs-montmorillonite. The geometrical factors of the macropores including tortuosity and geometric constrictivity of saturated Cs-montmorillonite determined by the X-ray CT was consistent with the corresponding values derived in the HDO diffusion test. In the case of Na-montmorillonite, the larger differences between the geometric factors evaluated by the X-ray CT and the diffusion tests can be explained by the electrostatic constrictivity factor and the additional geometrical factors in gel phase and interlayer that are smaller than the detection limit of the X-ray CT.

Spectroscopic measurements of L X-rays with a TES microcalorimeter for a non-destructive assay of transuranium elements

Nakamura, Keisuke; Morishita, Yuki; Takasaki, Koji; Maehata, Keisuke*; Sugimoto, Tetsuya*; Kiguchi, Yu*; Iyomoto, Naoko*; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa*

Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 193(3-4), p.314 - 320, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-018-1953-9

Petrographic data of silicic igneous rocks in the Tono area, central Japan

Ueki, Tadamasa; Niwa, Masakazu

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-005, 94 Pages, 2018/08

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-005.pdf:15.6MB

Mountain development has an influence on long-term changes of uplift, erosion, and groundwater flow related to change in hydraulic gradient. Provenance analysis is one of promising geological methods to understand origin and formation process of mountains. Case study in the Tono area, central Japan has been done for research and development of individual technique to estimate a provenance. In this report, petrological descriptions by meso- and microscopic observations and elemental distributions using scanning X-ray analytical microscope of basement rocks (silicic igneous rocks) from the study area were compiled.

Development of experimental technology for simulated fuel-assembly heating to address core-material-relocation behavior during severe accident

Abe, Yuta; Yamashita, Takuya; Sato, Ikken; Nakagiri, Toshio; Ishimi, Akihiro; Nagae, Yuji

Proceedings of 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-26) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2018/07

https://asme.pinetec.com/icone26/

observation of dislocation evolution in ferritic and austenitic stainless steels under tensile deformation by using neutron diffraction

Sato, Shigeo*; Kuroda, Asumi*; Sato, Kozue*; Kumagai, Masayoshi*; Harjo, S.; Tomota, Yo*; Saito, Yoichi*; Todoroki, Hidekazu*; Onuki, Yusuke*; Suzuki, Shigeru*

Tetsu To Hagane, 104(4), p.201 - 207, 2018/00

https://doi.org/10.2355/tetsutohagane.TETSU-2017-082

Development of non-transfer type plasma heating technology to address CMR behavior during severe accident with BWR design conditions

Abe, Yuta; Sato, Ikken; Nakagiri, Toshio; Ishimi, Akihiro; Nagae, Yuji

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/04

Impurity effects in the microscopic elastic properties of polycrystalline Mg-Zn-Y alloys with a synchronised long-period stacking ordered phase

Hosokawa, Shinya*; Kimura, Koji*; Yamasaki, Michiaki*; Kawamura, Yoshihito*; Yoshida, Koji*; Inui, Masanori*; Tsutsui, Satoshi*; Baron, A. Q. R.*; Kawakita, Yukinobu; Ito, Shinichi*

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 695, p.426 - 432, 2017/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.10.266

Chemical states of trace-level strontium adsorbed on layered oxide by XPS and XANES under total reflection condition

Baba, Yuji; Shimoyama, Iwao

Photon Factory Activity Report 2016, 2 Pages, 2017/00

http://pfwww.kek.jp/acr/2016pdf/u_reports/pf16b0047.pdf

In order to elucidate the adsorption states of radioactive Sr-90 in soil, chemical bonding states of non-radioactive strontium adsorbed on layered oxide (mica) have been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Since the number of atoms in radioactive Sr-90 is extremely small, the XPS and XANES were measured under total reflection condition of the incident X-rays. The detection limit in total reflection XPS was about 150 pg/cm, which corresponds to 300 Bq of Sr-90. The Sr 2p core-level energy in XPS shifted to lower energy with the decrease in the thickness of Sr layer. Also, the Sr 2p Sr 4d resonance energy in XANES shifts to lower energy with the decrease in the thickness. On the basis of a simple point charge model, it was elucidated that the chemical bond between Sr and mica surface becomes ionic with the decrease in the adsorbed amount of strontium.

Electronic structures of ferromagnetic CeAgSb; Soft X-ray absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopies

Saito, Yuji; Fujiwara, Hidenori*; Yamaguchi, Takashi*; Nakatani, Yasuhiro*; Mori, Takeo*; Fuchimoto, Hiroto*; Kiss, Takayuki*; Yasui, Akira*; Miyawaki, Jun*; Imada, Shin*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 85(11), p.114713_1 - 114713_7, 2016/11

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.85.114713

We report on the electronic structures of ferromagnetic CeAgSb using soft X-ray absorption (XAS), magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectroscopies. The Ce XAS spectra show very small satellite structures, reflecting a strongly localized character of the Ce 4 electrons. The linear dichroism effects in the Ce XAS spectra demonstrate the ground-state Ce 4 symmetry of , the spatial distribution of which is directed along the -axis. Nevertheless, ARPES spectra at the Ce 3-4 resonance show the momentum dependence of the intensity ratio between Ce 4 and 4 peaks in a part of the Brillouin zone, suggesting the non negligible momentum-dependent hybridization effect between the Ce 4 and the conduction electrons. This is associated with the moderate mass enhancement in CeAgSb.