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Dynamical response of surface metallic states in single crystalline ultrathin Bi(001) films on Si(111) 7 × 7 surface was investigated at a spectral range of 0.1-12 THz by broadband terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The observed transmittance increased with a decrease in the thickness, without showing a gap structure. The measured complex dielectric dispersion was analyzed using a Drude model, and the plasma frequency (ωp) and damping constant (γ) were found to be inversely proportional to the thickness. The results strongly indicate the existence of surface metallic states, whose carrier density and damping constant are estimated to be 3.08 × 1019 cm-3 and 4.83 × 102 THz, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors study the consensus problem in networked non-holonomic systems (NHSs). Based on Brockett's stabilisability condition, the stabilisation of NHSs is usually considered by using time-varying or discontinuous control (including switching control). Observing that the consensus problem has more flexibility than the stabilisation one, the authors aim to establish time-invariant continuous state feedbacks for the problem at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development of a two-tractor platooning system on sloping terrain. A reference course for the following tractor was dynamically created from the position points of the leading tractor and subsequently processed by the least squares fitting method to filter out some noise. A path-tracking controller composed of the feedforward and feedback component elements was employed to guide the following tractor along the reference course. Field tests were conducted on an 11° sloping meadow. The results indicated that the following tractor tracked the leading one successfully, with mean and RMS lateral deviations of less than 0.028 and 0.078 m, respectively, at travel speed of 0.5 m s-1 on sloping terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have prepared DPP-hematin (DPP = 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20-dodecaphenylporphyrin), and characterized it by Mössbauer and magnetic measurements. It is concluded that DPP-hematin is most likely a monomer, as is expected from the distorted nonplanar structure of the porphyrin, in contrast to usual hematins: hematins derived from usual porphyrins are μ-oxo dimers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In situ analyses of high-resolution medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) combined with photoelectron spectroscopy clarify the initial growth processes of Ni on Si(111) as-grown and post-annealed. For as-deposition at room temperature, a thin NiSi2-like layer is initially formed at the interface. With increasing Ni-coverage the surface becomes Ni-rich silicides and finally a Ni-layer stacks on the silicide layer for Ni-coverage more than 10ML. Present MEIS and Si 2p core level analyses reveal the fact that a small amount of Si(∼0.7ML) is incorporated in the Ni-layer and partly segregated to the surface. For the samples with Ni-coverage more than 3ML, annealing at 500°C leads to formation of a NiSi2 epitaxial layer, onto which a small amount (∼0.2ML) of Si adatoms are located. Three components observed in the Si 2p spectra with binding energies of 98.8, 99.3 and 99.9eV scaled from the Fermi level are assigned, respectively to (1) the 1st-layer Si atoms bonded to the Si adatoms, (2) the Si adatoms together with the 1st- (non-bonded to the Si adatoms) and 3rd-layer Si atoms and (3) the bulk NiSi2 (4th- and deeper-layers Si atoms). Furthermore, angle-resolved photoemission analysis has derived the bulk band structure along the Γ–L direction and also found a surface state with a strong pz character, corresponding to the p orbitals of a Si dangling bond. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effects of frictional wear characteristics and microstructural factors such as volume fraction and diameter of primary α phase on fretting fatigue strength of Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe annealed at various temperatures were investigated in this study. The fretting fatigue life of Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe is hardly affected by the volume fraction and diameter of the primary α phase in the low cycle fretting fatigue life region. The fretting fatigue limit of Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe tends to increase with decrease in the volume fraction and average diameter of primary α phase. However, when volume fraction and average diameter of primary α phase are below certain values, the fretting fatigue limit is lowered by coarsening of the acicular α phase, which precipitates in the β phase region. The weight of wear debris that is swept out from the specimen surface in frictional wear test of Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe tends to increase with decrease in hardness. The fretting fatigue life of Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Mo–2Fe tends to decrease with increase in the weight of wear debris that is swept out from the specimen surface in fretting fatigue test and increase in the depth of the crack growth zone caused by contact pressure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report on the growth of GaAs and GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructured hexagonal pillar structures using selective area (SA) metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). By performing growth on SiO2-masked (1 1 1)B GaAs substrates with circular or hexagonal hole openings, extremely uniform array of hexagonal GaAs/AlGaAs pillars consisting {1 1 0} vertical facets with their diameter of order of 100 nm were obtained. Unexpectedly, strong intense light emission was observed for the room temperature photoluminescence measurement of the pillar arrays in triangular lattice, which is promising for the application to the photonic crystals to enhance the light extraction efficiency from the materials with high refractive index. Furthermore, it was also found that hexagonal pillars with size 60 nm and large aspect ratio (>100) by reducing the size of initial hole size of mask, opening a possibility to grow nanowires using epitaxial growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Iron(III) complexes of highly saddled dodecaphenylporphyrin, Fe(DPP)X (X=Cl, Br or I) have been prepared and characterized by Mössbauer, UV–Vis and magnetic measurements. The Mössbauer spectra, recorded at temperatures from 5 to 300 K, contain two components A and B. Component A is attributed to iron(III) in a spin-admixed (S=3/2, 5/2) state. The UV–Vis spectra of solution samples of these complexes exhibit broad and red-shifted absorption bands. The effective magnetic moments derived from the molar magnetic susceptibilities measured by modified Gouy method at 298 K for X=Cl, Br and I are 5.52, 5.10 and 4.28 μB, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An autonomous tractor guidance system for vehicle navigation on sloping ground was developed by extending a previous study in which navigation was limited to a specific gradient. A previously developed neural network vehicle model was trained along the contour lines of 0, 5, 11 and 15° sloping terrain. Using the trained models and a cost function, optimal steering angles for different ranges of deviations were sought by genetic algorithm and the optimal values were arranged in separate matrix-form reference table for each slope. The optimal steering values of the four reference tables were expressed by a third-order polynomial equation so that the equation can provide an optimal steering value for any inclination. The coefficients of the equations were tabulated in a matrix form, which is designated as a ‘general reference table’. If the slope inclination and vehicle attitude can be determined, real-time navigation of the tractor is possible using this table. An autonomous travel test was conducted on inclined surface. It was found that the developed guidance system could precisely navigate the tractor along a rectilinear contour path on 20° sloping terrain, where the mean offset was 0·05 m and its standard deviation was 0·044 m. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Photoinduced magnetic phase transition in an organic radical 1,3,5-trithia-2,4,6-triazapentalenyl (TTTA) crystal was investigated at room temperature through photoinduced ESR and Raman scattering measurements. We found that the photoexcitation of the charge-transfer band induces a low-temperature diamagnetic to high-temperature paramagnetic phase transition with a clear threshold photon density of ∼1.0 × 1021/cm3, while that of the intramolecular π–π transition band induces a phase transition without a clear threshold photon density. The mechanism of the photoinduced magnetic phase transition in TTTA is discussed in comparison with that of the photoinduced ionic-to-neutral phase transition in TTF-CA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reflection, time-integrated and time-resolved luminescence spectra have been measured in PbI[sub 2(I-x]Br[sub 2x] (x≥0.5) mixed crystals in order to elucidate the excitonic properties and relaxation processes of orthorhombic phase PbI[sub 2] embedded in the mixed crystals. The crystal structure of PbI[sub 2(I-x]Br[sub 2x] above x=0.5 is orthorhombic and an observed new reflection peak (∼2.5 × 10[sup 4] cm[sup -1]) above x=0.5 is due to an excitonic state of orthorhombic phase PbI[sub 2]. On the excitation energy above 2.5 × 10[sup 4] cm[sup -1], a broad luminescence band with a large Stokes shift from the reflection peak was observed. This luminescence band is attributed to a self-trapped exciton state. The decay of the luminescence has two components. Based on an atomic excitation picture, the shorter decay component (≤10 ns) is attributed to the allowed transition from ³P[sub 1] to ¹S[sub 0]. On the other hand, the longer decay component (∼3 µs) might be due to the forbidden transition from ³P[sub 0] to ¹S[sub 0]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes an experiment on encoding of a subunit of murine serine chromosomeband 12 region E by Sptlc2 through in situ hybridization. Sptlc2 (formerly called MmLCB2) encodes a subunit of murine serine palmitoyltransferase (SPI, EC 2.3.1.50), which catalyzes the first biosynthetic step of ceramide, a condensation of L-serine and palmitoyl-CoA. SPT is the key enzyme for the biosynthesis of sphingolipids since ceramide serves as a core structure of all of sphingolipids including sphingomyelin and over 390 species of glycosphingolipids. Although Sptlc2 was isolated as a homologue of Sptlci (MmLCB 1), only Sptlc2 contained a sequence homologous to a pyridoxal phosphate binding motif (around Lys377) found in the E. coli 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase enzyme, which seemed to be a part of the catalytic site of SPI.

This article, titled "EP06.25: Fetal ultrasound predictors for early postnatal intervention in congenital pulmonary airway malformations," examines predictive factors on fetal ultrasound in cases of congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAM) that require surgery in the early postnatal period. The study analyzed fetal ultrasound data from 43 cases diagnosed with CPAM and found that a bigger ipsilateral pulmonary artery (PA) diameter and a high volume/estimated body weight ratio (vol/EFBW) at diagnosis, as well as a higher CPAM volume ratio (CVR) before birth, were risk parameters for requiring early postnatal surgery. These findings provide valuable information for predicting the need for intervention in CPAM cases. [Extracted from the article]

We demonstrate that single-shot pump-probe imaging spectroscopy with an echelon mirror enables us to disclose the ferroelectric phonon-polariton dynamics across a wide temperature range from 10 K to 375 K while avoiding the photorefractive effects that appear prominently at low temperatures. The E-mode phonon-polaritons corresponding to the two transverse optical modes, TO1 and TO3, up to ∼7 THz were induced in LiNbO3 through an impulsive stimulated Raman scattering process. Subsequently, using single-shot pump-probe imaging spectroscopy over a minimal cumulative time, we successfully visualized the phonon-polariton dynamics in time-wavelength space even at low temperatures. We found that the phase-matching condition significantly affected the observed temperature-dependent phonon-polariton frequency shift. The anharmonicity of the TO1 and TO3 modes was then evaluated based on an anharmonic model involving higher-order interactions with acoustic phonons while eliminating the influence of the frequency shift due to the phase-matching condition. The observed wavenumber-dependent damping rate was analyzed by considering the bilinear coupling of the TO1 or TO3 modes with the thermally activated relaxation mode. We found that the phonon-polariton with a higher frequency and wavenumber had a higher damping rate at high temperatures because of its frequent interaction with the thermally activated relaxation mode and acoustic phonons. The TO3 mode displayed greater bilinear coupling than the TO1 mode, which may also have contributed to the observed high damping rate. Thus, using our unique single-shot spectroscopy technique, we could reveal the overall anharmonic characteristics of the E-mode phonon-polaritons arising from both the acoustic phonons and the relaxation mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Clinical profiles, outcomes of isolated fetal complete atrioventricular block: a retrospective review of 14 cases at a single institution" by K. Murakami and others is presented.

The ferroelectric soft mode in a SrTiO3 thin film was impulsively driven to a large amplitude using intense picosecond terahertz pulses. As the terahertz electric field increased, the soft-mode absorption peak exhibited blueshifting and spectral narrowing. A classical anharmonic oscillator model suggests that the induced displacement is comparable to that of the ferroelectric phase transition. The spectral narrowing indicates that the displacement exceeds that induced by any inhomogeneities in the film, demonstrating that the method can be used to explore intrinsic quartic anharmonicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Free volume behavior in polystyrene thin films with thickness ranging from 22 to 1200nm on silicon substrates was studied by energy variable positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (EVPALS). The films were prepared by spincasting from toluene solutions of 0.5–5.0wt% polystyrene with M w =1 090 000g/mol. Distinct deviations from bulk polystyrene in thermal expansion of the free volume holes and the glass transition temperature associated with free volume behavior were observed for the thinnest film with 22nm thickness, indicating its exclusively high chain mobility. Comparison of the polystyrene concentration in the precursor solution around the overlap concentration suggests that the high chain mobility is due to less entangled chains caused by rapid removal of the solvent from the diluted solution in order to prepare very thin film. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is shown that the photonic crystal slab (PCS) with hexagonal air holes has band gaps in the guided mode spectrum, which can be compared to that of the PCS with circular air holes, thus it is also a good candidate to be used for the PC devices. The PC with hexagonal air holes and a =0.5μm and r =0.15μm was fabricated successfully by selective area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (SA-MOVPE). The vertical and smooth sidewalls are formed and the uniformity is very good. The same process was also used to fabricate a hexagonal air hole array with the width of 0.1μm successfully. The air-bridge PCS with hexagonal air holes and a =0.3μm and r =0.09μm was also fabricated successfully by SA-MOVPE. Further optimization of the growth conditions for the sacrificial layer and the selective etching of the GaAs cap layer is also needed. Our experimental results indicate that SA-MOVPE is a promising method for fabricating PC devices and photonic nanostructures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photoinduced magnetic phase transition in an organic radical 1,3,5-trithia–2,4,6-triazapentalenyl (TTTA) crystal has been studied by microscopic IR measurements. Both photoexcitations of the charge-transfer and intramolecular π–π transition bands induce a low-temperature diamagnetic to high-temperature paramagnetic phase transition but with different threshold photon densities. The behavior of the photoinduced magnetic phase transition in TTTA is discussed in comparison with previous results measured by the photoinduced Raman and ESR measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on a catalyst-free approach for the growth of semiconductor nanowires which is attracting interest as building blocks for nanoscale electronics and circuits. Our approach is based on selective-area MOVPE and nanowires are grown from small circular openings of SiO mask defined on (111)B-oriented substrates. At optimized conditions, extremely uniform array of GaAs and InGaAs nanowires with diameter of about was grown on GaAs and InP substrates, respectively. The nanowires have hexagonal cross-section and are perpendicular to the substrates, indicating that they are surrounded by facet sidewalls. By reducing the mask opening size, nanowires with diameter down to and length more than were successfully formed. Photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy characterization was also carried out. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The luminescence of self-trapped excitons in halogen-bridged platinum complexes [Pt(en)2] [Pt(en)2X2](ClO4)4 (en=ethylenediamine, X=Br, Cl) has been studied by means of femtosecond up-conversion techniques. The time evolution of the nuclear wave-packet shape is visualized for a Pt–Br system and interpreted in terms of a harmonic-oscillator model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors report the fabrication of the nanopillars with single InGaAs/GaAs quantum well by selective-area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. The standard diameter deviation of the nanopillars is about 8% and the standard deviation in their height about 5%. Their photoluminescence peak positions shift to the longer wavelength with an increase in the diameter of the nanopillars, which is not due to the quantum confinement effect in the radial or axial direction but due to the stoichiometry difference of the indium content in the nanopillars with different diameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract for the article "Predicting fetal lung hypoplasia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia: parameters with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging" by M. Shimizu and others is presented.

High-frequency coherent phonons resonantly excited in metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (M-SWCNTs) were investigated via spectrally resolved pump-probe spectroscopy using 7.5-fs laser pulses. In addition to first-order coherent phonons such as radial breathing mode (RBM) and M and G modes, we clearly observed second-order high-frequency coherent phonons of 2D and 2G modes, which can be regarded as squeezed phonons. We found that the amplitudes of the RBM, G and 2D modes were resonantly enhanced at specific wavelengths: the maximum resides at a wavelength whose energy is smaller than that of the van Hove singularities in M-SWCNTs by an amount corresponding to the phonon energy. Furthermore, the 2D mode has stronger enhancement than the other first-order Raman modes. These results indicate that the enhancement originates from a Stokes-stimulated Raman-scattering process at van Hove singularities and that efficient resonance enhancement occurs for the 2D mode, possibly through double resonance due to the trigonal warping effect and strong electron-phonon coupling due to the Kohn anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To compare the prevalence and clinical features of HNF1β-related MODY and HNF1α-related MODY in Japanese. Methods We enrolled 230 Japanese patients with suspected MODY and examined them for HNF1α and HNF1β mutations. We characterized the clinical features of HNF1β-related MODY (HNF1β-MODY) and HNF1α-related MODY (HNF1α-MODY). Results Six patients had HNF1β mutations, four of which were large gene deletions and 24 patients had HNF1α mutations, which included one gene deletion. The mean fasting plasma glucose level at onset of HNF1β-MODY was considerably higher and the age of onset of HNF1β-MODY was considerably older than they were for HNF1α-MODY, while the mean BMI and C-peptide index at onset were similar. Three patients with HNF1β-MODY were found to have dorsal pancreatic agenesis and four of them had whole-gene deletion. Five of the patients with HNF1β-MODY had insulin secretion defects and were treated with insulin, and four of these did not have a parent with overt diabetes. Conclusion HNF1β-MODY may present as β-cell dysfunction in Japanese rather than as hyperinsulinaemia, which it does among European/American. This dysfunction might result from an intrinsically lower capacity for insulin secretion in Japanese. HNF1β-MODY has an older age of onset than HNF1α-MODY, which may suggest lower penetrance of the disease. In addition, HNF1β-MODY has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, some of which are detectable by imaging. This may be helpful in some cases for selecting HNF1β-MODY candidates for genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxapram is the only dedicated respiratory stimulant used to aid recovery of breathing after major surgery. Doxapram acts on peripheral chemoreceptors and although the central action of doxapram has been suggested, its detailed neuronal mechanism is unknown. We assessed doxapram-induced changes in spontaneous cervical nerve (C4) inspiratory activity and the firing of action potentials in pre-inspiratory and inspiratory neurones in the medulla. Experiments were performed in neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparations, which can produce respiratory rhythm for several hours under in vitro conditions. Doxapram application (for 15 min) increased the frequency and amplitude of C4 activity dose-dependently. Doxapram induced changes in the electrophysiological properties of pre-inspiratory and inspiratory neurones. Our results suggest that respiratory activity enhancement was likely to be induced via effects on the potassium channels of pre-inspiratory and inspiratory neurones and indicate the central actions of doxapram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherent large-wave-vector phonons in graphene layers were excited by using a 7.5-fs ultrashort laser, and observed by wavelength-resolved pump-probe transient reflectivity spectroscopy. Inter-Dirac-cone electron scattering mediated by edges and defects in graphene layers drives large-wave-vector coherent D-mode phonons near the Dirac point (K point) of the Brillouin zone. In contrast to the normal coherent phonons generated with first-order Raman process, phonon chirp is observed, and amplitude and frequency strongly change depending on the probed wavelength. The results are discussed on the basis of doubly resonant Raman scattering process, demonstrating that generated D-mode coherent phonons can propagate as nanoscale optical-phonon wave packets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a correction of an earlier article regarding photoluminescence and quantum wells.

The dynamics of photoluminescence due to biexcitons and exciton-exciton scattering (M and P emissions, respectively) has been investigated in the layered-type semiconductor Pbl2 by using the optical Kerr gate method. We simultaneously observed P and M emissions under high-density excitation. The M emission emerges instantaneously, whereas the P emission shows a delayed onset whose latency increases as the excitation photon energy increases. The latency to onset indicates that the P emission takes place after the relaxation of excitons with excess energy toward the bottleneck region via exciton-longitudinal optical (LO) phonon scattering processes. Based on the time-dependent peak energy shift of the P emission and a line-shape analysis of the M emission, we evaluated the effective temperatures of both photogenerated excitonic and biexcitonic systems as well as the self-energy due to the collisions among biexcitons. We conclude that these systems are separately formed in space owing to potential fluctuations between Pbl2 layers, and independently reach thermal equilibrium after ~30 ps with different cooling processes. The exciton-exciton and exciton-LO phonon scattering processes play an important role in cooling the excitonic system, whereas the biexciton-biexciton and biexciton-exciton collisions are dominant in cooling the biexcitonic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this observational study was to investigate the relationship between splanchnic and renal blood flow during infrarenal aortic cross-clamp (XC) and postoperative gastrointestinal perfusion and function. Methods Descending aortic blood flow (DABF) was continuously monitored with an oesophageal Doppler monitor (Cardio-Q, Deltex Ltd, Chichester, UK) in 31 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Cardiac output (CO) was determined by indocyanine green dilution before, during, and after XC. Perioperative gastrointestinal perfusion was assessed by gastric intramucosal pH (pHi, Tonocap, GE Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland). Postoperative gastrointestinal recovery was assessed by the number of postoperative days until the patient successfully resumed solid food intake. The relationship between the mean DABF during XC and gastric pHi after XC release and postoperative gastrointestinal recovery was analysed with Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results DABF accounted for ∼55% of CO during XC and significantly decreased during XC, despite arterial pressure remaining within an optimal range. There were two distinct relationships between DABF during XC and gastric pHi after XC release. Gastric pHi steeply and linearly declined when indexed DABF was below 0.82 litre min−1 m−2. Above this critical value, there was no linear relationship between them. The duration of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction was inversely correlated with the mean DABF during XC. The best cut-off value of the mean indexed DABF during XC to prevent prolonged gastrointestinal dysfunction was 1.2 litre min−1 m−2. Conclusions Decreased DABF during XC associates splanchnic hypoperfusion after XC release and delayed recovery of gastrointestinal function. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Little research has been done on supportive needs of cancer patients in acute hospitals in Japan. This study aims to comprehensively assess the unmet supportive needs of hospitalized cancer patients, as well as literacy and utilization of appropriate professional care.Methods: All cancer patients (aged 20 to 80 years) who were hospitalized in a university hospital in Tokyo during the designated 3-day period between September 1 and October 31, 2007 were recruited for participation in the study. The M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, Brief Cancer-Related Worry Inventory, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered. Patients' knowledge and use of relevant services were evaluated. The results were compared with those of non-cancer patients in the same treatment settings.Results: A total of 125 cancer patients and 59 non-cancer patients were enrolled. Cancer patients and non-cancer patients equally suffered from physical symptoms (15-26% had severe appetite loss, 18-19% had severe dry mouth, and 16-22% had severe pain); however, psychological distress of cancer patients exceeded that of non-cancer patients (28.0% vs 8.5%; p ≤ 0.05). Severe psychological distress was associated with severe worry about future prospects or interpersonal and social issues and presence of two or more severe symptoms. Two thirds of the patients with severe psychological distress knew about the psychiatric division, but only one third actually sought treatment.Conclusions: Needs related to psychological issues were more prevalent among cancer patients than among non-cancer patients, despite a similar level of physical distress. Special attention should be paid to cancer patients who worry over future prospects or interpersonal and social issues, and those who have two or more severe symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 4 figures and 2 tables Foxtail millet, common millet and Japanese barnyard millet have traditionally been important food sources in East Asian countries. Although waxy types of foxtail and common millet have been identified, a waxy mutant of the allohexaploid crop Japanese barnyard millet has not yet been reported. However, several Japanese landraces have been identified that have approximately half the level of amylose found in other varieties. We employed one of the low amylose landraces, `Noge-Hie', to produce waxy Japanese barnyard millet using a γ-radiation treatment. The seeds from a single M2 plant stained red-brown with iodine solution, indicating the starch in the seeds lacked amylose. Colorimetric tests indicated that amylose was not present in endosperm tissue of the mutant, and analysis of starch granule bound proteins showed that waxy (Wx) protein was absent from the starch granules. The waxy trait was stably inherited in subsequent generations. Additionally, a PCR-based analysis demonstrated the presence of three separate waxy genes in the millet, and indicated that the low amylose landraces carry a deletion in one of these three genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether hyperglycemia would augment gut barrier dysfunction and inflammatory responses in endotoxemic rats, and simultaneously to clarify the roles of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in alterations of gut mucosal permeability associated with hyperglycemia. DESIGN: Prospective randomized animal study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS:: Male Wistar rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. INTERVENTIONS: After LPS injection (4 mg/kg), rats were randomly allocated into group S (n = 6), group G (n = 7), or group GI (n = 8) with continuous infusion of different fluid solutions: normal saline, 40% glucose or 10% glucose mixed with insulin, respectively. Blood glucose, insulin, and proinflammatory cytokines, accompanied by gut mucosal permeability using an in situ loop preparation of gut with fluorescence isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran, were measured. Bacterial growth or alterations in mesenteric lymph nodes and cecal contents were also assessed. We further determined the roles of TNF-alpha using an inhibitor of TNF-alpha converting enzyme in gut barrier dysfunction under the same experimental settings. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hyperglycemia over 400 mg/dL was achieved and kept in group G during the study period whereas normoglycemia was preserved in group S and GI, the latter of which showed the similar extent of hyperinsulinemia to group G. Plasma concentrations of fluorescence-labeled dextran and TNF-alpha in group G were significantly higher vs. group S and GI, and the number of bacteria found in mesenteric lymph nodes in group G was greater compared with group S. Intestinal environments including microflora and organic acids were not altered by blood glucose or insulin level. Inhibiting conversion of membrane-bound to soluble type of TNF-alpha restored gut mucosal permeability augmented by hyperglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that hyperglycemia deteriorates LPS-elicited gut barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation independently of plasma insulin level, and that TNF-alpha mediates such mucosal dysfunction of gut in endotoxemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate rapid energy transfer (ET) and its temperature dependence in a star-shaped stilbenoid phthalocyanine (SSS1Pc) dendrimer having π-conjugated light-harvesting (LH) antennas, and develop an appropriate model. In SSS1Pc, an intense core photoluminescence (PL) band appears under the selective excitation of the absorption bands of the LH antenna due to highly efficient ET at room temperature (RT). The transient response of core-absorption bleaching and the temporal behaviours of the PL intensities of the core and antenna reveal that ET from the LH antenna occurs rapidly prior to achieving quasi-equilibrium in the photoexcited state of the LH antenna. In addition, it is also clarified that the ET quantum efficiency in SSS1Pc degrades at temperatures lower than ~100 K. To understand these results, we develop an ET model based on a π-conjugating network between the LH antenna and the core that accounts for steric hindrance between the LH antenna and the torsional vibration of the LH-antenna subunit. This model reveals that highly efficient ET occurs at RT through the π-conjugated network mediated by the thermally activated torsional vibration of the LH-antenna subunit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the kidneys are the major source of proinflammatory cytokines, association of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) with severity of atherosclerosis or kidney function in diabetic patients is unclear. Two hundred type 2 diabetic patients and 30 age-matched nondiabetic subjects consecutively admitted to our hospital were enrolled. The Agatston coronary artery calcium score (CACS), a quantitative marker of coronary atherosclerosis, was obtained using multidetector-row computed tomography. Arterial stiffness was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Diabetic patients had higher log(CACS + 1) (p = 0.0089), baPWV (p = 0.0293), frequency of elevated urinary albumin excretion (UAE) (p < 0.0001) and TNF-? (p = 0.0029) and similar estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared to nondiabetic subjects. When diabetic patients were grouped into four subgroups with or without elevated UAE and renal insufficiency (UAE of >/= 30 or <30 mg/24 h and eGFR of <60 or >/= 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2), patients with micro- and macroalbuminuric renal insufficiency showed the highest log(CACS + 1) (p < 0.0001), baPWV (p = 0.0068) and TNF-alpha (p < 0.0001) of these groups. Log(CACS + 1) (p = 0.0008) and baPWV (p = 0.0006) positively and eGFR (p < 0.0001) negatively correlated with TNF-alpha in diabetic patients. We find that coronary artery calcification, arterial stiffness, and renal insufficiency associate with circulating levels of TNF-alpha in type 2 diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early stage embryogenesis of higher eukaryotes lacks some of the damage response pathways such as G1/S checkpoint, G2/M checkpoint and apoptosis. We examined here the damage response of preimplantation stage embryos after fertilization with 6 Gy irradiated sperm. Sperm-irradiated embryos developed normally for the first 2.5 days, but started to exhibit a developmental delay at day 3.5. p21 was activated in the delayed embryos, which carried numerous micronuclei owing to delayed chromosome instability. Apoptosis was observed predominantly in the inner cell mass of the day 4.0 embryos. Sperm-irradiated p21−/− embryos lacked the delay, but chromosome instability and apoptosis were more pronounced than the corresponding p21 wild-type embryos. We conclude from the result that damage responses come in a stage-specific manner during preimplantation stage development; p53-dependent S checkpoint at the zygote stage, p21-mediated cell cycle arrest at the morula/blastocyst stages and apoptosis after the blastocyst stage in the inner cell mass.Oncogene (2007) 26, 6141–6149. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210444; published online 9 April 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because impaired insulin secretion is characteristic of type 2 diabetes in Asians, including Japanese, the genes involved in pancreatic beta-cell function are candidate susceptibility genes for type 2 diabetes. We examined the association of variants in genes encoding several transcription factors (TCF1, TCF2, HNF4A, ISL1, IPF1, NEUROG3, PAX6, NKX2-2, NKX6-1, and NEUROD1) and genes encoding the ATP-sensitive K(+) channel subunits Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) and SUR1 (ABCC8) with type 2 diabetes in a Japanese cohort of 2,834 subjects. The exon 16 -3c/t variant rs1799854 in ABCC8 showed a significant association (P = 0.0073), and variants in several genes showed nominally significant associations (P < 0.05) with type 2 diabetes. Although the E23K variant rs5219 in KCNJ11 showed no association with diabetes in Japanese (for the K allele, odds ratio [OR] 1.08 [95% CI 0.97-1.21], P = 0.15), 95% CI around the OR overlaps in meta-analysis of European populations, suggesting that our results are not inconsistent with the previous studies. This is the largest association study so far conducted on these genes in Japanese and provides valuable information for comparison with other ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surveillance colonoscopy is widely recommended in patients with longstanding and extensive ulcerative colitis (UC) in order to detect colorectal neoplasia at an early stage. However, it still remains questionable whether surveillance colonoscopy effectively enables early detection of UC associated neoplasia. There is a great need for sensitive markers to identify individuals at increased risk of neoplasia. The oestrogen receptor (OR) gene shows age related methylation in the colorectal epithelium and is methylated frequently in sporadic colorectal neoplasia, suggesting that OR methylation may predispose to colorectal neoplasia. Aim: To clarify whether analysis of methylation of the OR gene in non-neoplastic epithelium can contribute to prediction of increased neoplasia risk in UC patients. Materials and methods: A total of 165 non-neoplastic colorectal epithelia from 30 patients with longstanding and extensive UC, including 13 UC patients with neoplasia and 17 patients without, were evaluated. Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the methylation status of the OR gene. Results: Methylation of the OR gene was detected in 54 of 70 (77.1 %) non-neoplastic colorectal epithelia in UC with neoplasia but in only 23 of 95 (24.2%) without neoplasia. Methylation of the OR gene was significantly more frequent in non-neoplastic epithelium from UC with neoplasia than in chronic colitic epithelium from UC without neoplasia. Furthermore, in UC with neoplasia, the OR gene was extensively methylated in non-neoplastic epithelia throughout the colorectum compared with those in UC without neoplasia. Conclusion: These results suggest that analysis of OR gene methylation may have potential as a useful marker for identifying individuals at increased risk of neoplasia among those with longstanding and extensive UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The allele frequencies for a Pro12-->Ala substitution in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma differ among ethnic groups, and its relationship with diabetes and associated diseases is controversial. The prevalence of this polymorphism and its effects on clinical characteristics have now been evaluated with a large number of Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes (n = 2,201) and normal control subjects (n = 1,212) recruited by 10 institutions located in seven different cities in Japan. The allele frequency for the Ala12 variant was significantly lower in the type 2 diabetic group than in the control group (2.39 vs. 4.13%, P = 0.000054). However, compared with subjects without the Ala12 variant, the diabetic subjects with this variant exhibited a significantly higher serum concentration of total cholesterol (P = 0.001), manifested a reduced capacity for insulin secretion as evaluated by homeostasis model assessment (P = 0.007), and tended to possess a higher level of HbA1c. These data suggest that the Ala12 variant is associated with a reduced risk for the development of diabetes in the general population, but that it may be also a risk factor for insulin deficiency and disease severity in individuals with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Microsatellites, an essential tool for genetic linkage analyses, are selected in genetic studies on the basis of both informativeness and their positions with respect to one another on the genetic map. In order to establish a microsatellite marker set useful for linkage studies in the Japanese population, we first genotyped 64 unrelated Japanese subjects, using 400 microsatellite markers from a commercially available set (ABI PRISM Linkage Mapping Set-MD10) and then determined the allelic frequencies and heterozygosities for these marker loci in the population. In order to optimize the set, we replaced 41 markers having a heterozygosity lower than 0.6 with as many informative markers in the corresponding loci, and newly added six markers in the set to minimize the several gaps found at intervals of over 20cM. We finally established a set comprising 406 microsatellites with average intervals of 9cM (maximum, 17cM) and minimum heterozygosities of over 0.6 (mean, 0.76). All data generated in this study, including the specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer sequences of the newly added markers, are freely available to all researchers at our web site. The genetic tool established here should facilitate genetic linkage studies of various hereditary diseases, especially in the Japanese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Among Japanese, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine (OPLL) is a leading cause of myelopathy, showing ectopic bone formation in the paravertebral ligament. We have provided genetic evidence that the collagen alpha2 (XI) (COLllA2) locus of chromosome 6 constitutes susceptibility for OPLL. Five distinct single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), identified in COLllA2, were combined to construct possible haplotypes by the use of a maximum likelihood program. Estimated haplotype frequency was compared in OPLL patients and non-OPLL controls. We report a gender-specific association of the COLllA2 haplotype with OPLL. The frequency of the most commonly observed haplotype was significantly higher in male patients (P = 0.0003) compared with controls, but not in female patients (P = 0.21). OPLL is predominantly observed in males, with a prevalence ratio of 2:1, and our gender-specific associations indicate that genetic factors involving COLllA2 play... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For glioma- and glioblastoma-specific gene expression, we utilized a nestin regulatory element whose activity was evaluated by the reporter gene lacZ. Nestin is a 38-kDa intermediate filament protein, and is expressed specifically in the neuroepithelial stem cells. Nestin is detected in gliomas and glioblastomas, but not in normal brain tissue. We constructed a nestin gene regulator by placing nestin's second intron before the 5' upstream region (2iNP). To obtain enhanced expression of this tissue-specific regulator, we utilized the adenovirus double-infection method with a Cre-loxP on/off switching system. We constructed a 'regulator' vector, Ax2iNPNCre, which expresses Cre recombinase under the control of the nestin regulatory element, 2iNP. A 'reporter' vector, AxCALNLNZK, expresses lacZ under the control of a strong CAG promoter when the stuffer sequence has been removed by Cre recombinase at a pair of loxP sites. We used seven human glioma/glioblastoma cell lines: U251, KG-1C, NGM5, U87 MG, LN-Z308, NP-2 and T98G. Of these, nestin was expressed highly in U251 and KG-1C, less in NGM5, and undetectably in the other four lines. With the use of the two adenovirus vectors, we found X-gal staining and high nestin regulator-promoted β-galactosidase activities in four of the seven glioma/glioblastoma cell lines. Staining was strong in U251, KG-1C and NGM5, and less in U87 MG. LacZ expression was nearly undetectable in the non-glioma cell line, HeLa, but a little in COS-7. The adenovirus double-infection method, which uses a nestin regulator, is applicable for glioma/glioblastoma-specific expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]