Effect of temperature on the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation

The velocity of the aggregation of human erythrocytes was examined in the range of 5-43 degrees C with a rheoscope combined with a video camera, an image analyzer and a computer. (1) With increasing temperature, the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation induced by fibrinogen, immunoglobulin G and artificial macromolecules (dextran of 70 kDa and poly(glutamic acid) of 50 kDa) increased. However, the relationship between the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation and the temperature was different among these macromolecules. (2) In 70% autologous plasma, the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation was minimum at 15-18 degrees C, and increased at both higher and lower temperatures. (3) The shape of erythrocyte aggregates in 12 mumol/l fibrinogen (containing 770 mumol/l albumin) and in 70% autologous plasma was dependent on temperature: three-dimensional below 15-18 degrees C and one-dimensional (mainly rouleaux) above 15-18 degrees C. However, the shape of aggregates in 27 mumol/l immunoglobulin G (containing 770 mumol/l albumin) was three-dimensional in all temperature ranges. (4) The temperature dependency of erythrocyte aggregation was discussed in terms of the changes of medium viscosity, of erythrocyte properties and of bridging macromolecules.     

Production of bovine identical twins via transfer of demi-embryos without zonae pellucidae

Embryos were collected nonsurgically from n?turally-cycling or superovulated donors 7 d after estrus. Forty-four morulae, early blastocysts and blastocysts classified as good to excellent were bisected using a fine glass needle to produce forty-four identical demi-embryos. The bisected demi-embryos, without zonae pellucidae, were nonsurgically transferred, either by twin or single transfer. An additional forty-eight embryos were collected from the same donors and transferred as a control. Among the twin transfers, 8 of the 13 recipients became pregnant (61.5%). Seven of them conceived twin fetuses (87%) and one a single fetus. However, only two sets of normal identical twin calves were obtained. Among the single transfers, 72.6% (45/62) of bisected embryos without zonae pellucidae resulted in pregnancy, of which 48.4% (30/62) were identical twins, and 24.2% (15/62) were singletons. Another 27.4% (17/62) of the recipients did not became pregnant. The pregnancy rate for whole embryos with zonae pellucidae was 72.9% (35/48). These data show that there was no significant difference between the pregnancy rates of bisected embryos without zonae pellucidae and whole embryos with zonae pellucidae transferred 7 d after estrus. Bisection of bovine embryos was simplified and even morula stage embryos were transferred without zonae pellucidae.     

Seasonal and areal features of the lagoonal environment in Lake Nakanoumi,a shallow coastal lagoon in Japan

Lake Nakanoumi is a shallow coastal lagoon connected with the Japan Sea by a narrow channel. Over the past decade, land reclamation resulted in a 33% reduction of the lagoon's surface area. The remaining water basin of Lake Nakanoumi is scheduled to be artificially freshened to supply irrigation water for the newly reclaimed lands. This paper deals with the seasonal and areal features of the lagoonal environment prior to the beginning of the artificial desalinization.     

Genetic control of lactate dehydrogenase isozymes in Paramecium caudatum

The LDH isozymes were surveyed in bacterized cultures of syngens 1, 3, 12, and 13 of Paramecium caudatum by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All the examined stocks of different syngens except one stock in syngen 3 had a single common LDH isozyme, and intra- and intersyngenic variation was not observed except for the one stock in syngen 3. Breeding data using the exceptional stock indicated that the LDH isozymes of P. caudatum are controlled by two codominant alleles at a single locus whose products aggregate randomly, forming a dimer.     

A novel anti-inflammatory role for spleen-derived interleukin-10 in obesity-induced hypothalamic inflammation

Obesity can be associated with systemic low-grade inflammation that contributes to obesity-related metabolic disorders. Recent studies raise the possibility that hypothalamic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity (DIO), while another study reported that obesity decreases the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in spleen. The following study examines the hypothesis that obesity suppresses the splenic synthesis of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-10, thereby resulting in chronic hypothalamic inflammation. The results showed that due to oxidative stress or apoptosis, the synthesis of splenic IL-10 was decreased in DIO when compared with non-obesity rats. Splenectomy (SPX) accelerated DIO-induced inflammatory responses in the hypothalamus. Interestingly, SPX suppressed the DIO-induced increases in food intake and body weight and led to a hypothalamic pro-inflammatory state that was similar to that produced by DIO, indicating that hypothalamic inflammation exerts a dual effect on energy metabolism. These SPX-induced changes were inhibited by the systemic administration of IL-10. Moreover, SPX had no effect on hypothalamic inflammatory responses in IL-10-deficient mice. These data suggest that spleen-derived IL-10 plays an important role in the prevention of hypothalamic inflammation and may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and hypothalamic inflammation.     

Mechanism of silicate elution by hydrogen sulfide from bottom sediment in a brackish lake

Limnology - Highly concentrated dissolved silicate was detected in pore water from anoxic-reducing sediment in Lake Nakaumi, a brackish lake. Silicate concentration also simultaneously increased...     

A Questionnaire Survey of the Type of Support Required by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yogo</Emphasis> Teachers to Effectively Manage Students Suspected of Having an Eating Disorder

Background

Many studies have focused on the decreasing age of onset of eating disorders (EDs). Because school-age children with EDs are likely to suffer worse physical effects than adults, early detection and appropriate support are important. The cooperation of Yogo teachers is essential in helping these students to find appropriate care. To assist Yogo teachers, it is helpful to clarify the encounter rates (the proportion of Yogo teachers who have encountered ED students) and kinds of requested support (which Yogo teachers felt necessary to support ED students). There are no studies that have surveyed the prevalence rates of ED children by ED type as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), nor were we able to find any quantitative study surveying the kinds of support Yogo teachers feel helpful to support ED students.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was administered to 655 Yogo teachers working at elementary/junior high/senior high/special needs schools in Chiba Prefecture. The questionnaire asked if the respondents had encountered students with each of the ED types described in DSM-5 (anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other types of EDs (Others)), and the kinds of support they felt necessary to support these students. The encounter rates and the kinds of requested were obtained and compared, taking their confidence intervals into consideration.

Results

The encounter rates for AN, BN, BED, ARFID, and Others were 48.4, 14.0, 8.4, 10.7, and 4.6 %, respectively. When classified by school type, AN, BN, BED, and ARFID had their highest encounter rates in senior high schools. Special needs schools had the highest rate for Others. The support most required for all ED types was “a list of medical/consultation institutions.”

Conclusions

Our results have clarified how to support Yogo teachers in the early detection and support of ED students. We found that the encounter rate of AN was the highest, and that it is effective to offer “a list of medical/consultation institutions” to junior and senior high schools where the encounter rates for AN are high.

     

Proteomic signature of human cancer cells

We assessed proteomic profiles as biomarkers for monitoring cell phenotypes. Protein expression profiles were obtained by fluorescence two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D-DIGE), in which quantitative ability is improved by labeling proteins with fluorescent dyes prior to electrophoresis. Integrated protein spot intensities were analyzed by a statistical approach. The proteomic data of two groups of cell lines: (1) adenocarcinoma (AC) cell lines derived from lung, pancreas and colon tissues and (2) lung cancer cell lines with different histological backgrounds, including AC, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma, were assessed on the basis of prior biological information. Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis were used to divide the cell lines into subgroups on the basis of similarities between their protein expression profiles. The majority of cell lines were grouped according to their organ of origin or histological background. A machine-learning algorithm selected 32 protein spots that were responsible for the classification. The results indicate that proteomic data generated by 2-D-DIGE can provide a signature of essential cell phenotypes, suggesting that it might be possible to apply this technique to developing tumor markers that could identify the organ of origin of metastatic tumors and contribute to the differential diagnosis of lung cancer.     

Effect of pH on the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation

The effect of pH on the velocity of aggregation of human erythrocytes was quantitatively examined with a rheoscope combined with a video-camera, an image analyzer and a computer, in relation to the morphological changes of erythrocytes and their aggregates. (i) With increasing pH of the medium, the velocity of erythrocyte aggregation increased. (ii) The rouleaux formed at high pH were longer in shape and more stable against the increase of shear rate than those formed at low pH. (iii) With increasing pH, the diameter of erythrocyte increased, the (maximum) thickness decreased, and the cell volume decreased. The pH dependency of erythrocyte aggregation may be mainly due to the morphological change of erythrocytes, and partly due to the changes of erythrocyte deformability and of interaction with macromolecules.     

Relative sea‐level change regulates organic carbon accumulation in coastal habitats

Because coastal habitats store large amounts of organic carbon (C_org), the conservation and restoration of these habitats are considered to be important measures for mitigating global climate change. Although future sea‐level rise is predicted to change the characteristics of these habitats, its impact on their rate of C_org sequestration is highly uncertain. Here we used historical depositional records to show that relative sea‐level (RSL) changes regulated C_org accumulation rates in boreal contiguous seagrass–saltmarsh habitats. Age–depth modeling and geological and biogeochemical approaches indicated that C_org accumulation rates varied as a function of changes in depositional environments and habitat relocations. In particular, C_org accumulation rates were enhanced in subtidal seagrass meadows during times of RSL rise, which were caused by postseismic land subsidence and climate change. Our findings identify historical analogs for the future impact of RSL rise driven by global climate change on rates of C_org sequestration in coastal habitats.