Indoor environmental study and post occupancy evaluation in an office environment

1. 1. The objective of this paper is to investigate the indoor environment from the viewpoint of interaction between physical environment and the human responses. The field survey has been conducted over 1 year.

2. 2. A continuous measurement has been carried out for 1 week and distribution of variables have been measured for 1 day.

3. 3. The attitude of workers was investigated by a questionnaire.

4. 4. As the result, average luminance represented more than 1000 lx in the new building, in contrast with less tha 300 lx in the existing building.

5. 5. There was a significant difference of the occupants' response to the light environment between the two buildings.

6. 6. Measured thermal conditions are on the edge of the ASHRAE comfort envelope in summer, and in the neighborhood of the lower dry limit of the envelope in spring.

7. 7. The occupants' evaluations were remarkably changed before and after the moving. The office environment is better than that of the factory.

New sesquiterpene lactone glucosides from the roots of Ferula varia

Five new eudesmane- (1–5), two new guaiane- (6 and 7) and one new germacrane-type (8) sesquiterpene lactone glucosides were isolated from the H₂O-soluble fraction of the roots of Ferula varia. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by modified Mosher's method.     

26S multicatalytic proteinase complexes decrease during the differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells.

Changes in multicatalytic proteinase activity during differentiation were investigated using Me2SO-induced differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells as a model. The apparent ATP-dependent multicatalytic proteinase activity decreased in the Me2SO-treated cells with ATP-dependent incorporation of [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate decreasing notably after Me2SO-treatment. This decrease in activity does not seem to arise from a cessation of cell-proliferation, because no significant changes in proteinase activity were observed under different culture conditions. Hydroxyapatite column chromatography was employed to analyze the form of multicatalytic proteinase. It was clearly demonstrated that the 26S form of the proteinase decrease in the differentiated cells relative to normal cells. Multicatalytic proteinase-associated proteins that bind to the proteinase in an ATP-dependent manner were purified on an anti-multicatalytic proteinase IgG conjugated column. Only a small amount of protein was recovered from the differentiated cells. These results suggest that the decrease in multicatalytic proteinase-associated proteins that occurs upon cell-differentiation abolishes the ATP-dependent activity of the proteinase.     

Insusceptibility of Cockayne syndrome-derived lymphocytes to plasminogen activator-like protease induction by ultraviolet rays and its abolition by interferon.

Protease induced by ultraviolet rays (UV) has been extensively investigated in human cells. Plasminogen activator-like protease (PA) activity was induced soon after UV irradiation in peripheral lymphocytes derived from healthy donors. In contrast, UV-irradiated lymphocytes derived from Cockayne syndrome (CS) cases did not show marked protease inducibility. Epstein-Barr (EB) virus-transformed CS lymphoblastoid cells were also characterized by insusceptibility to UV-induction of PA. However, when CS-derived cells were treated with a human interferon (HuIFN) preparation prior to irradiation, induction of PA activity was detected, irrespective of the kind of HuIFN (alpha or gamma). The results indicate the possibility of abnormal PA metabolism in CS-derived cells.     

Enhancement of plasminogen activator activities by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in tuberous sclerosis fibroblasts

The alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) enhanced the levels of plasminogen activator (PA) activity in fibroblast cells derived from the skin of patients with tuberous sclerosis. The enhanced enzyme levels were not correlated with those of cloning efficiency nor those of DNA synthesis after MNNG treatment. Enzyme enhancement was also observed in fibroblasts of ataxia telangiectasia and in human neoplastic glia cells, but not in fibroblasts of normal children. The PA induction test may be sufficiently sensitive for the detection of the cellular defects of tuberous sclerosis.     

Mouthparts in Leptotrombidium larvae (Acariformes: Trombiculidae)

Mouthparts of Leptotrombidium larvae (Acariformes: Trombiculidae), potential vectors of tsutsugamushi disease agents, were studied in detail using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The mouthparts incorporated within the pseudotagma gnathosoma are composed of the infracapitulum ventrally and the chelicerae dorsally. The ventral wall of the infracapitulum is formed by a wide mentum posteriorly and a narrowed malapophysis anteriorly. The malapophysis firmly envelops the distal cheliceral portions by its lateral walls. The lateral lips of the malapophysis are flexible structures hiding the cheliceral blades in inactive condition and turning back forming a type of temporary sucker closely applied to the host skin during feeding. The roof of the infracapitulum is formed by a weakly sclerotized labrum anteriorly and a cervix with the capitular apodemes extending posteriorly. The labral muscles are lacking. The capitular apodemes serve as origin for pharyngeal dilators running to the dorsal wall of the pharynx fused with the bottom of the infracapitulum. The basal cheliceral segments are separated from each other besides the very posterior portions where they are movably joined by the inner walls. The sigmoid pieces serve for insertion of the cheliceral elevators originating at the posterior portions of the basal segments. The movable digits reveal the solid basal sclerite and the cheliceral blade curved upward with a tricuspid cap on its tip. Dendrites of nerve cells run along the digits to their tips. The ganglia are placed within the basal segments just behind the movable digits. The chelicerae also reveal well developed flexible fixed digits overhanging the basal portions of the blades. The gnathosoma possesses several sets of extrinsic muscles originating at the scutum and at the soft cuticle behind it. Laterally, the gnathosoma bears five‐segmented palps with a trifurcate palpal claw. J. Morphol. 277:424–444, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Changes in Brain Tissue and Behavior Patterns Induced by Single Short-Term Fasting in Mice

In humans, emaciation from long-term dietary deficiencies, such as anorexia, reportedly increases physical activity and brain atrophy. However, the effects of single short-term fasting on brain tissue or behavioral activity patterns remain unclear. To clarify the impact of malnutrition on brain function, we conducted a single short-term fasting study as an anorexia model using male adult mice and determined if changes occurred in migratory behavior as an expression of brain function and in brain tissue structure. Sixteen-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were divided into either the fasted group or the control group. Experiments were conducted in a fixed indoor environment. We examined the effects of fasting on the number of nerve cells, structural changes in the myelin and axon density, and brain atrophy. For behavior observation, the amount of food and water consumed, ingestion time, and the pattern of movement were measured using a time-recording system. The fasted mice showed a significant increase in physical activity and their rhythm of movement was disturbed. Since the brain was in an abnormal state after fasting, mice that were normally active during the night became active regardless of day or night and performed strenuous exercise at a high frequency. The brain weight did not change by a fast, and brain atrophy was not observed. Although no textural change was apparent by fasting, the neuronal neogenesis in the subventricular zone and hippocampus was inhibited, causing disorder of the brain function. A clear association between the suppression of encephalic neuropoiesis and overactivity was not established. However, it is interesting that the results of this study suggest that single short-term fasting has an effect on encephalic neuropoiesis.