Trace elements influenced by environmental changes in Lake Biwa: (I) Seasonal variations under suboxic hypolimnion conditions during 2007 and 2009

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Lake Biwa hypolimnion reached its lowest level of <1 mg kg^?1 in 2007. In this paper, we report the variations in the total dissolvable (TD), dissolved (D), and labile particulate (LP) fractions of Al, Si, P, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, W, and U in Lake Biwa 2007 and 2009. Al and Fe species were predominantly in the form of LP-Al and LP-Fe and were strongly correlated with one another (r = 0.99), suggesting that the weathering of aluminous minerals and the supply of clay mineral particles are the main factors that influence the distributions of Al and Fe. Although D-Al increased in the summer epilimnion, D-Fe was relatively low, probably as a result of uptake by plants. Reductive release of Fe from the bottom was not seen. Mn was also dominated by LP-Mn, but this fraction showed a different distribution to those of LP-Al and LP-Fe. The D-Mn and LP-Mn concentrations varied by factors of 700–1000 and showed marked increases in the bottom water during stratification in 2007. We believe that Mn²⁺ was released from the sediments and oxidized by DO in the bottom water. Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cr, which exist as cationic species, had LP/TD ratios of 0.1–0.7 and relatively uniform distributions. Si, P, V, As, Mo, W, and U, which form oxoacid species, had LP/TD ratios of 0–0.8. Si, P, and As were characterized by nutrient-like profiles, V, W, and U showed summer maxima in the epilimnion, and Mo had a uniform distribution. TD-Mo increased in the bottom water along with TD-Mn, while TD-V and TD-W showed significant decreases. These results are likely attributable to differences in the adsorption of these elements onto manganese oxides and iron hydroxides.     

Replacement of the Epstein-Barr virus plasmid with the EBER plasmid in Burkitt's lymphoma cells

Transfection of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded plasmid containing EBER caused a substantial decrease in the level of plasmid containing EBV in Akata and Mutu Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) lines, but failed to do so in other BL lines. The results suggest that EBER could replace the role of EBV, but other EBV products also play a role in the growth of BL.     

A parameter control method in reinforcement learning to rapidly follow unexpected environmental changes

In order to rapidly follow unexpected environmental changes, we propose a parameter control method in reinforcement learning that changes each of learning parameters in appropriate directions. We determine each appropriate direction on the basis of relationships between behaviors and neuromodulators by considering an emergency as a key word. Computer experiments show that the agents using our proposed method could rapidly respond to unexpected environmental changes, not depending on either two reinforcement learning algorithms (Q-learning and actor-critic (AC) architecture) or two learning problems (discontinuous and continuous state-action problems).     

The budget of dissolved trace metals in Lake Biwa,Japan

A comprehensive study on the dynamics of dissolved elements (Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, As, Sr, Y, W, and U) in Lake Biwa was carried out using a clean technique. Lake water samples (n = 523) were collected from six stations in the North Basin and three stations in the South Basin. River water samples (n = 178) were collected from 14 major rivers flowing into the North Basin. Rainwater samples (n = 89) were collected at Otsu. The river water was enriched with Mn, Al, Fe, P, and Zn and the rainwater was enriched with Zn, Al, Fe, and Mn compared to North Basin water during winter mixing. The residence times of dissolved species were estimated on the basis of input through the rivers and rain. The residence times for Ca, Mg, and Sr were about 8 years, the same as that for water. Mn, Al, Fe, and Zn showed the shortest residence times (0.05–0.19 year). A budget calculation suggested that more than 60% of the input of dissolved Si, P, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, and Zn was scavenged and retained in the lake sediments and/or discharged as suspended particles.     

Accumulation of inorganic polyphosphate in phoU mutants of Escherichia coli and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803

The biological process for phosphate (P(i)) removal is based on the use of bacteria capable of accumulating inorganic polyphosphate (polyP). We obtained Escherichia coli mutants which accumulate a large amount of polyP. The polyP accumulation in these mutants was ascribed to a mutation of the phoU gene that encodes a negative regulator of the P(i) regulon. Insertional inactivation of the phoU gene also elevated the intracellular level of polyP in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. The mutant could remove fourfold more P(i) from the medium than the wild-type strain removed.     

Leukemia inhibitory factor relaxes arteries through endothelium-dependent mechanism

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a cytokine, which inhibits angiogenesis and decreases endothelial cell proliferation and migration, suggesting that LIF may modulate vascular tone. In this study, we examined the effects of LIF on the tone of rat arteries. The isometric tension of ring preparations from rat superior mesenteric arteries was continuously measured. LIF relaxed the mesenteric arteries in a dose-dependent manner, when the arterial rings were precontracted with phenylephrine. The relaxation was totally inhibited by mechanical removal of endothelium. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester did not affect the relaxation by LIF. Ca(2+)-dependent K channel (KCa) blockers, apamin with charybdotoxin, inhibited the relaxation by LIF. Catalase, an enzyme which scavenges hydrogen peroxide, also inhibited the relaxation by LIF. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor relaxes smooth muscle cells and the effect is blocked by KCa and catalase. Our results suggest that LIF regulates vascular tone through the effect of this factor.