Determinants of Slow Walking Speed in Ambulatory Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Walking ability is significantly lower in hemodialysis patients compared to healthy people. Decreased walking ability characterized by slow walking speed is associated with adverse clinical events, but determinants of decreased walking speed in hemodialysis patients are unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with slow walking speed in ambulatory hemodialysis patients. Subjects were 122 outpatients (64 men, 58 women; mean age, 68 years) undergoing hemodialysis. Clinical characteristics including comorbidities, motor function (strength, flexibility, and balance), and maximum walking speed (MWS) were measured and compared across sex-specific tertiles of MWS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine whether clinical characteristics and motor function could discriminate between the lowest, middle, and highest tertiles of MWS. Significant and common factors that discriminated the lowest and highest tertiles of MWS from other categories were presence of cardiac disease (lowest: odds ratio [OR] = 3.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26–8.83, P<0.05; highest: OR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.18–6.84, P<0.05), leg strength (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.40–0.95, P<0.05; OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.39–0.82, P<0.01), and standing balance (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.63–0.92, P<0.01; OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.68–0.97, P<0.05). History of fracture (OR = 3.35, 95% CI = 1.08–10.38; P<0.05) was a significant factor only in the lowest tertile. Cardiac disease, history of fracture, decreased leg strength, and poor standing balance were independently associated with slow walking speed in ambulatory hemodialysis patients. These findings provide useful data for planning effective therapeutic regimens to prevent decreases in walking ability in ambulatory hemodialysis patients.     

A new species of Oithona (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) from the neritic waters of Australia

A new species of Oithona predominating in the neritic watersof Australia is described. This species resembles three otherspecies of the genus, but has several unique characters in thefamily Oithonidae. The morphological and geographical relationshipsof this species with allied species are discussed.     

NUCLEAR-CYTOPLASMIC RELATIONS IN THE MITOSIS OF SEA URCHIN EGGS : III. γ-Ray-Induced Damage to Whole Eggs and Nucleate and Anucleate Half-Eggs

Sea urchin eggs were cut into halves. The nucleate and anucleate halves and whole eggs were irradiated with γ-rays and then fertilized with normal sperm. The first mitosis of the diploid half-egg was more delayed than the division of the whole egg. There was a small, but highly significant, delay of the mitosis of the haploid half-egg, thus demonstrating cytoplasmic sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Since the sensitivity of nucleate cells is influenced by cytoplasmic volume, the problem of the role of cytoplasm in repair is considered in relation to these data and other reports in the literature.     

Controlled release of adeno-associated virus from alginate hydrogel microbeads with enhanced sensitivity to ultrasound

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy holds promise as a fundamental treatment for genetic disorders. For clinical applications, it is necessary to control AAV release timing to avoid an immune response to AAV. Here we propose an ultrasound (US)-triggered on-demand AAV release system using alginate hydrogel microbeads (AHMs) with a release enhancer. By using a centrifuge-based microdroplet shooting device, the AHMs encapsulating AAV with tungsten microparticles (W-MPs) are fabricated. Since W-MPs work as release enhancers, the AHMs have high sensitivity to the US with localized variation in acoustic impedance for improving the release of AAV. Furthermore, AHMs were coated with poly-l -lysine (PLL) to adjust the release of AAV. By applying US to the AAV encapsulating AHMs with W-MPs, the AAV was released on demand, and gene transfection to cells by AAV was confirmed without loss of AAV activity. This proposed US-triggered AAV release system expands methodological possibilities in gene therapy.     

Integumental organs of the phyllosoma larva of the rock lobster Jasus edwardsii (Hutton)

The external morphology and distribution of the integumentalorgans of the final-stage phyllosoma of the rock lobster Jasusedwardsii were examined. Seven types of organs were recognizedon the integument of the body trunk, antennules and antennae:plumose setae, simple setae, porous setae, aesthetasc setae,simple pores, dorsal cuticular organs and dome-shaped structures.The plumose setae and simple pores were abundant on the dorsalsurface of the cephalosome, abdomen and telson. The dorsal cuticularorgans were present only on the dorsal surface of the cephalosome,and the aesthetasc setae were restricted to the antennule. A comparison of the morphology of these organs with the senseorgans of other decapods with known function suggests that thedorsal surface of the body trunk is one of the major sites ofreception of near-field water movement in the Jasus phyllosoma.     

The Relationship between Media Consumption and Health-Related Anxieties after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

Background

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused a global panic by a release of harmful radionuclides. In a disaster setting, misusage of contemporary media sources available today can lead to disseminated incorrect information and panic. The study aims to build a scale which examines associations between media and individual anxieties, and to propose effective media usages for future disaster management.

Methods

The University of Tokyo collaborated with the Fukushima local government to conduct a radiation-health-seminar for a total of 1560 residents, at 12 different locations in Fukushima. A 13 item questionnaire collected once before and after a radiation-seminar was used on factor analysis to develop sub-scales for multiple regression models, to determine relationships between the sub-scales and media type consumed. A paired t–test was used to examine any changes in sub-scale of pre- and post-seminar scores.

Results

Three sub-scales were revealed and were associated with different media types: was with rumors, while concern for the future was positively associated with regional-newspapers and negatively with national-newspapers. Anxiety about social-disruption was associated with radio. The seminar had a significant effect on anxiety reduction for all the three sub-scales.

Conclusion

Different media types were associated with various heightened concerns, and that a radiation seminar was helpful to reduce anxieties in the post-disaster setting. By tailoring post-disaster messages via specific media types, i.e., radio, it may be possible to effectively convey important information, as well as to calm fears about particular elements of post-disaster recovery and to combat rumors.     

NDR2‐mediated Rabin8 phosphorylation is crucial for ciliogenesis by switching binding specificity from phosphatidylserine to Sec15

Primary cilia are antenna‐like sensory organelles protruding from the plasma membrane. Defects in ciliogenesis cause diverse genetic disorders. NDR2 was identified as the causal gene for a canine ciliopathy, early retinal degeneration, but its role in ciliogenesis remains unknown. Ciliary membranes are generated by transport and fusion of Golgi‐derived vesicles to the pericentrosome, a process requiring Rab11‐mediated recruitment of Rabin8, a GDP–GTP exchange factor (GEF) for Rab8, and subsequent Rab8 activation and Rabin8 binding to Sec15, a component of the exocyst that mediates vesicle tethering. This study shows that NDR2 phosphorylates Rabin8 at Ser‐272 and defects in this phosphorylation impair preciliary membrane assembly and ciliogenesis, resulting in accumulation of Rabin8‐/Rab11‐containing vesicles at the pericentrosome. Rabin8 binds to and colocalizes with GTP‐bound Rab11 and phosphatidylserine (PS) on pericentrosomal vesicles. The phospho‐mimetic S272E mutation of Rabin8 decreases affinity for PS but increases affinity for Sec15. These results suggest that NDR2‐mediated Rabin8 phosphorylation is crucial for ciliogenesis by triggering the switch in binding specificity of Rabin8 from PS to Sec15, thereby promoting local activation of Rab8 and ciliary membrane formation.     

Photoreactivities of 5-Bromouracil-containing RNAs

5-Bromouracil (^BrU) was incorporated into three types of synthetic RNA and the products of the photoirradiated ^BrU-containing RNAs were investigated using HPLC and MS analysis. The photoirradiation of r(GCA^BrUGC)₂ and r(CGAA^BrUUGC)/r(GCAAUUCG) in A-form RNA produced the corresponding 2′-keto adenosine (^ketoA) product at the 5′-neighboring nucleotide, such as r(GC^ketoAUGC) and r(CGA^ketoAUUGC), respectively. The photoirradiation of r(CGCG^BrUGCG)/r(C^mGCAC^mGCG) in Z-form RNA produced the 2′-keto guanosine (^ketoG) product r(CGC^ketoGUGCG), whereas almost no products were observed from the photoirradiation of r(CGCG^BrUGCG)/r(C^mGCAC^mGCG) in A-form RNA. The present results indicate clearly that hydrogen (H) abstraction by the photochemically generated uracil-5-yl radical selectively occurs at the C2′ position to provide a 2′-keto RNA product.     

Effects of Detergents on Lysis of Micrococcus lysodeikticus by Lysozyme

The effects of detergents on the lysozyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cells were investigated by changing the concentration of Na-phosphate buffer and pH in the presence or absence of sucrose. Also, a parallel study of the hydrolysis of glycolchitin by lysozyme was conducted and compared to the lytic reaction. Electron microscopy was utilized to follow the changes in cell morphology during the various treatments.

None of the detergents changed turbidity of the cell suspension. However, they did affect the change in turbidity during lysis in unique ways. SDS, which is an anionic detergent, inhibited lysozyme activity and its addition to the reaction mixture caused a rapid and large decrease in the turbidity. Brij 35 and Triton X-100, which are non-ionic detergents, did not inhibit lysozyme activity, but their presence in the reaction mixture changed the rate of turbidity change. Apparently non-ionic detergents disrupt only the protoplast, while anionic detergents disrupt both the protoplast and the damaged cell. The lytic mechanism of M. lysodeikticus by lysozyme was discussed in detail.