Detection of SO2 at the ppm Level with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Sensing

Plasmonics - Detection and monitoring of SO2 is important because it is a representative toxic gas in the atmospheric environment that is emitted from industrial and natural processes. Localized...     

MicroRNA-30c attenuates fibrosis progression and vascular dysfunction in systemic sclerosis model mice

Molecular Biology Reports - Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by peripheral circulatory disturbance and fibrosis in skin and visceral organs. We recently demonstrated that...     

Copper-dependent DNA damage induced by hydrazobenzene,an azobenzene metabolite

Hydrazobenzene is carcinogenic to rats and mice and azobenzene is carcinogenic to rats. Hydrazobenzene is a metabolic intermediate of azobenzene. To clarify the mechanism of carcinogenesis by azobenzene and hydrazobenzene, we investigated DNA damage induced by hydrazobenzene, using ³²P-5′-end-labeled DNA fragments obtained from the c-Ha-ras-1 proto-oncogene and the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Hydrazobenzene caused DNA damage in the presence of Cu(II). Piperidine treatment enhanced the DNA damage greatly, suggesting that hydrazobenzene caused base modification and liberation. However, azobenzene did not cause DNA damage even in the presence of Cu(II). Hydrazobenzene plus Cu(II) caused DNA damage frequently at thymine residues. Catalase and a Cu(I)-specific chelator inhibited Cu(II)-mediated DNA damage by hydrazobenzene. Typical ^·OH scavengers did not inhibit the DNA damage. The main active species is probably a metal oxygen complex, such as Cu(I)-OOH. Formation of 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine was increased by hydrazobenzene in the presence of Cu(II). Oxygen consumption and UV-Visible spectroscopic measurements have shown that hydrazobenzene is autoxidized to azobenzene with H₂O₂ formation. It is considered that the metal-mediated DNA damage by hydrazobenzene through H₂O₂ generation may be relevant for the expression of carcinogenicity of azobenzene and hydrazobenzene.     

英国的侧盘菌属:属的概况及大型孢子种的研究(英文)

对侧盘菌属在英国的研究概况进行了评述,研究侧重于Otidea apophysata和O.platyspora两个具有大型子囊孢子的种。同时,对4个错误地用于大型孢子种的名称进行了订正:O. abietina(Pseudotis属的模式种)是含糊名称(nomen ambiguum);O.cochleata也为含糊名称;O. felina是O.alutacea的同物异名,并为后者指定了选模式;将O.umbrina处理为O.bufonia的同物异名。此外,确定了Otidea violacea的分类地位。     

A Japanese child with geleophysic dysplasia caused by a novel mutation of FBN1

Geleophysic dysplasia (GD) is a rare disorder characterized by severe short stature, short hands and feet, limited joint mobility, skin thickening, characteristic facial features (e.g., a “happy” face), and cardiac valvular disorders that often result in an early death. The genes ADAMTSL2 (a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif-like 2) and FBN1 (fibrillin 1) were recently identified as causative genes for GD. Here, we describe a 10-year-old Japanese female with GD who was born to non-consanguineous parents. At the age of 11 months, she was referred to our hospital because of very short stature for her age (− 4.4 standard deviations of the age-matched value) and a “happy” face with full cheeks, a shortened nose, hypertelorism, and a long and flat philtrum, characteristic of GD. Her hands and feet were small, her skin was thickened, and her joint mobility was generally limited. She had cardiac valvular disorders and history of recurrent respiratory failure. Mutation analysis revealed no abnormalities in ADAMTSL2. However, analysis of FBN1 revealed a novel heterozygous mutation (c.5161T > T/G) in exon 41, which encodes transforming growth factor-β-binding protein-like domain 5 (TB5). GD is an extremely rare disorder and, to our knowledge, only one case of GD with an FBN1 mutation has been reported in Japan. Similar to the previously reported cases of GD, the mutation in the current patient was located in the TB5 domain, which suggests that abnormalities in this domain of FBN1 are responsible for GD.     

Ranging behavior of Mahale chimpanzees: a 16 year study

We have analyzed the ranging patterns of the Mimikire group (M group) of chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. During 16 years, the chimpanzees moved over a total area of 25.2 or 27.4 km², as estimated by the grid-cell or minimum convex polygon (MCP) methods, respectively. Annually, the M group used an average of 18.4 km², or approximately 70 %, of the total home-range area. The chimpanzees had used 80 % of their total home range after 5 years and 95 % after 11 years. M group chimpanzees were observed more than half of the time in areas that composed only 15 % of their total home range. Thus, they typically moved over limited areas, visiting other parts of their range only occasionally. On average, the chimpanzees used 7.6 km² (in MCP) per month. Mean monthly range size was smallest at the end of the rainy season and largest at the end of the dry season, but there was much variability from year to year. The chimpanzees used many of the same areas every year when Saba comorensis fruits were abundant between August and January. In contrast, the chimpanzees used several different areas of their range in June. Here range overlap between years was relatively small. Over the 16 years of the study we found that the M group reduced their use of the northern part of their range and increased their frequency of visits to the eastern mountainous side of their home range. Changes in home-range size correlated positively with the number of adult females but not with the number of adult males. This finding does not support a prediction of the male-defended territory model proposed for some East African chimpanzee unit-groups.     

Intermolecular Forces Involved in the Gelation and Gel Stability of Sesame 13S Globulin

The effect of various reagents on the formation and stability of heat-induced gels of sesame 13S globulins were investigated. Electrostatic interaction, the hydrophobic bond and the disulfide bond were important for forming the network structure of gels, and the hydrogen bond also had an influence on the formation of the gel. Hydrophobic bonds mainly contributed to the stability of the gel. Subunit analyses of the proteins solubilized from the gels showed the presence of a free acidic subunit (AS) and basic subunit (BS), a polymer of AS, a dimer of BS and the dimer of a fragment from AS or BS. From the results, sulfhydryl-disulfide exchange reactions during gelation are suggested.