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n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), including α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are essential nutrients for vertebrates including humans. Vertebrates are n-3 PUFA-auxotrophic; hence, dietary intake of n-3 PUFAs is required for their normal physiology and development. Although fish meal and oil have been utilized as primary sources of n-3 PUFAs by humans and aquaculture, these traditional n-3 PUFA sources are expected to be exhausted because of the increasing consumption requirements of humans. Hence, it is necessary to establish alternative n-3 PUFA sources to reduce the gap between the supply and demand of n-3 PUFAs. Here, we investigated whether insects, which are considered as a novel source of essential nutrients, could store n-3 PUFAs by the forced expression of n-3 PUFA biosynthetic enzymes. We utilized Drosophila as an insect model to generate transgenic strains expressing Caenorhabditis elegans PUFA biosynthetic enzymes and examined their effects on the proportion of fatty acids. The ubiquitous expression of methyl-end desaturase FAT-1 prominently enhanced the proportions of α-linolenic acid, indicating that FAT-1 is useful for metabolic engineering to fortify α-linolenic acid in insect. Furthermore, the ubiquitous expression of nematode front-end desaturases (FAT-3 and FAT-4), PUFA elongase (ELO-1), and FAT-1 led to EPA bioproduction. Hence, nematode PUFA biosynthetic genes may serve as powerful genetic tools for enhancing the proportion of EPA in insects. This study represents the first step toward the establishment of n-3 PUFA-producing insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let H (D) be the linear space of all analytic functions on the open unit disc D and H p (D) the Hardy space on D . The characterization of complex linear isometries on S p = { f ∈ H (D) : f ′ ∈ H p (D) } was given for 1 ≤ p < ∞ by Novinger and Oberlin in 1985. Here, we characterize surjective, not necessarily linear, isometries on S ∞ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the production efficiency of yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata aquaculture, we measured changes in the activities of two lipid metabolism-related enzymes, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 (CPT2) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), in the dark muscle and livers of 0- and 1 year-old fish over the entire culture period. Concomitantly we also investigated two factors that regulate these enzymes, namely, water temperature and daylength, under natural and controlled light conditions. In 0 year-old fish, high CPT2 activity was observed with increased water temperature/longer daylength, whereas high G6PDH activity was observed with decreased water temperature/shorter daylength. The activities of these enzymes were inversely correlated with each other. The changes in CPT2 and G6PDH activities were similar in 1- and 0 year old fish cultured with and without light control. To determine the major regulatory factors of CPT2 and G6PDH activities, two experiments were performed, starting on the vernal and autumnal equinox days, respectively. Fish were reared under natural and controlled light conditions (light:dark, 12:12 h) in both experiments. CPT2 activity did not differ according to light conditions or water temperature. G6PDH activity did not differ according to light conditions, but an increase in G6PDH activity was confirmed upon lowering of the water temperature. In summary, the activities of these two lipid metabolism-related enzymes changed seasonally and the main regulating factor may be water temperature. These results provide information for determining the appropriate lipid level and fatty acid composition of the seasonal diet for cultured yellowtail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R be the space of real numbers with the ordinary topology. Define x ⋆ 1 y = | x | y (x , y ∈ R) and x ⋆ 2 y = x | y | (x , y ∈ R) . We show that any cancellative continuous semigroup operation on R which is left-distributed by ⋆ 1 is equal to a semigroup operation induced by the ordinary addition on R and a special homeomorphism from R onto itself.Also we show that there is no cancellative continuous semigroup operation on R which is right-distributed by ⋆ 1 and that there is no cancellative continuous semigroup operation on R which is distributive over ⋆ 1 . Similar results hold for the operation ⋆ 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image processing and computer vision on mobile devices have a wide range of applications such as digital image enhancement and augmented reality. While images acquired by cameras on mobile devices can be processed with generic image processing algorithms, there are numerous constraints and external issues that call for customized algorithms for such devices. In this paper, we survey mobile image processing and computer vision applications while highlighting these constraints and explaining how the algorithms have been modified/adapted to meet accuracy and performance demands. We hope that this paper will be a useful resource for researchers who intend to apply image processing and computer vision algorithms to real-world scenarios and applications that involve mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R + be the space of positive real numbers with the ordinary topology. Let ⋆ be the natural noncancellative continuous semigroup operation × or ⋄ on R + as defined in first section. We characterize the set D ⋆ (R +) of all cancellative continuous semigroup operations on R + which are distributed by ⋆ in terms of homeomorphism. As a consequence, we show that an arbitrary semigroup operation in D ⋆ (R +) is homeomorphically isomorphic to the ordinary multiplication on R + . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given any cancellative continuous semigroup operation ⋆ on the positive real numbers R + with the ordinary topology, we completely characterize the set D ⋆ (R +) of all cancellative continuous semigroup operations on R + which are distributed by ⋆ in terms of homeomorphism. As a consequence, we show that an arbitrary semigroup operation in D ⋆ (R +) is homeomorphically isomorphic to the ordinary addition + on R + . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a locally compact Hausdorff space L, we denote by C 0 (L , R) the Banach space of all continuous real-valued functions on L vanishing at infinity equipped with the supremum norm. We prove that every surjective phase-isometry T : C 0 + (X , R) → C 0 + (Y , R) between the positive cones of C 0 (X , R) and C 0 (Y , R) is a composition operator induced by a homeomorphism between X and Y. Furthermore, we show that any surjective phase-isometry T : C 0 + (X , R) → C 0 + (Y , R) extends to a surjective linear isometry from C 0 (X , R) onto C 0 (Y , R) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is caused by mutations in CSF1R. Pathogenic mutations in exons 12-22 including coding sequence of the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) of CSF1R were previously identified. We aimed to identify CSF1R mutations in patients who were clinically suspected of having ALSP and to determine the pathogenicity of novel CSF1R variants.Methods: Sixty-one patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of ALSP were included in this study. Genetic analysis of CSF1R was performed for all the coding exons. The haploinsufficiency of CSF1R was examined for frameshift mutations by RT-PCR. Ligand-dependent autophosphorylation of CSF1R was examined in cells expressing CSF1R mutants.Results: We identified ten variants in CSF1R including two novel frameshift, five novel missense, and two known missense mutations as well as one known missense variant. Eight mutations were located in TKD. One frameshift mutation (p.Pro104LeufsTer8) and one missense variant (p.His362Arg) were located in the extracellular domain. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the frameshift mutation of p.Pro104LeufsTer8 caused nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Functional assay revealed that none of the mutations within TKD showed autophosphorylation of CSF1R. The p.His362Arg variant located in the extracellular domain showed comparable autophosphorylation of CSF1R to the wild type, suggesting that this variant is not likely pathogenic.Conclusions: The detection of the CSF1R mutation outside of the region-encoding TKD may extend the genetic spectrum of ALSP with CSF1R mutations. Mutational analysis of all the coding exons of CSF1R should be considered for patients clinically suspected of having ALSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement in feed efficiency is one of the most important subjects in fish culture. The development of feed, in terms of good intake, high growth performance, and high feed efficiency is needed. Squid viscera are one of the candidates for alternative material in improving feed efficiency in fish culture. In the present study, we described the dietary effect of the squid viscera hydrolysate (SVH) on the growth performance of the red sea bream. The addition of SVH to feed caused significant increases in feed intake, fork length, and body weight and produced a marked improvement in feed conversion after 4 weeks of feeding. Furthermore, the results of this feeding revealed that low dietary levels of SVH promote growth performance in the red sea bream. We physiologically analyzed digestion and appetite in fish fed diet containing SVH. SVH promoted the activity of hepatic trypsin and lipase, gene expression of stomach pepsin, hepatic lipase, and pyloric caeca trypsin, thereby improving the nutrient availability in red sea bream. Moreover, the mRNA expression of appetite regulating factor, such as brain NPY and stomach ghrelin was significantly improved by dietary SVH. Our current results indicate that dietary SVH as alternative material produced excellent effects on growth performance, which is dependent on the promoting effect on digestion and appetite in red sea bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An endo β-1,4-xylanase (XynE15) from a culture broth of a deep subseafloor microorganism, Microcella alkaliphila JAM-AC0309, was purified to homogeneity. The molecular mass of XynE15 was approximately 150 kDa as judged by SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature for hydrolysis of xylan were pH 8 and 65 °C. The enzyme was stable to incubation for 30 min at up to 75 °C, and the half-life at 50 °C was 48 h. XynE15 hydrolyzed arabinoxylan, oat spelt xylan, and birchwood xylan well, but not avicel, carboxymethylcellulose, or arabinan. Xylooligosaccharides were hydrolyzed to mainly xylobiose from higher than xylotetraose. The genome sequencing analysis of strain JAM-AC03039 revealed that XynE15 was composed of 1,319 amino acids with one catalytic domain and three carbohydrate-binding domains belonging to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 and carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) family 4, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are attracting increasing worldwide attention as living organisms that produce various useful substances. Although a wide variety of bioactive substances have been identified in insects, there has been little study of the dietary effects of insects that contain these useful substances. In our present study, we describe the dietary effects of housefly [ Musca domestica (Linnaeus)] pupae in the red sea bream [ Pagrus major (Temminck and Schlegel)]. The addition of low levels of housefly pupae to the diets of these fish caused significant increases in fork length and body weight and produced a marked improvement in feed conversion after 24 days of feeding. Furthermore, the results of 6-month feeding trials revealed that low dietary levels of housefly pupae promote growth performance in the red sea bream. We further found that dietary housefly pupae significantly enhance the peritoneal leukocyte phagocytic activity in the red sea bream and provides increased protection against a lethal challenge from a major pathogen in this species, Edwardsiella tarda (Ewing et al). We also show that housefly pupae dietary supplements do not negatively affect the health of rats [ Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout)]. Our current results indicate the great potential of insects as functional feed sources for farmed fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel chitinase ( LpChiA) was purified to homogeneity from a culture of Laceyella putida JAM FM3001. LpChiA hydrolyzed colloidal chitin optimally at a pH of 4 in an acetate buffer and temperature of 75 ºC. The enzyme was remarkably stable to incubation at 70 ºC up to 1 h at pH 5.2, and its activity half-life was 3 days. The molecular mass of the enzyme was around 38 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and around 75 kDa by gel filtration, suggesting it is a homodimer. The enzyme activity was enhanced about 60 % when pre-incubated with anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants. The gene for LpChiA was cloned by PCR and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence of the gene consisted of 1,683 bp encoding 560 amino acids. The N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of the purified LpChiA from L. putida suggested that the mature enzyme was composed of 384 amino acids after cleaving its 176 N-terminal amino acids and dimerized to express its activity. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature enzyme showed the highest similarity to chitinase of Laceyella sacchari with 79 % identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brightness and color of pearls varies among different pearl-producing shellfish and have been a source of human fascination since ancient times. When produced through cultivation, the characteristics and quality of a pearl depend on the kind of shellfish used and also the transplanted mantle graft. This suggests that the Akoya pearl oyster, which is generally used in Japan for pearl culturing, can produce different kinds of pearl through the use of mantles from different species of shellfish. However, a transplanted heterogeneous mantle would be rejected by the immune system of the Akoya oyster. We have therefore developed a new method to suppress the Akoya immune system that archives immune tolerance to other shellfish. It is generally known that small quantities of antigens can be used to produce archived immunological tolerance in a clinical setting. We successfully suppressed the Akoya pearl oyster immune response against a Mabé pearl oyster graft through repeat injections of mantle homogenates. We then transplanted a Mabé pearl oyster mantle graft into the immunologically tolerant Akoya pearl oyster and obtained a Mabé pearl from an Akoya pearl oyster. Our new technique thus makes the production of novel and different pearls in the Akoya possible. We believe that this has significant future potential for the advancement of the pearl industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the general form of isometries between uniformly closed function algebras on locally compact Hausdorff spaces in a continuation of the study by Miura. We can actually obtain the form on the Shilov boundary, rather than just on the Choquet boundary. We also give an example showing that the form cannot be extended to the whole maximal ideal space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) often have evidence of compromised gastrointestinal motility. Ghrelin is a gut hormone that influences gastrointestinal motility in humans. The aim of this study was to determine whether ghrelin secretion is affected in MSA patients, and to investigate the relation between ghrelin secretion and gastrointestinal symptoms. Plasma levels of active ghrelin and unacylated ghrelin were measured in patients with MSA ( n = 30), other atypical parkinsonian disorders including progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome and corticobasal syndrome ( n = 24), and control subjects ( n = 24) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Gastrointestinal symptoms were quantified in all subjects using a self-report questionnaire. The ratio of active ghrelin to total ghrelin in the plasma (active ghrelin ratio) was lower in patients with MSA (mean: 8.0 %) than in patients with other atypical parkinsonian disorders (mean: 13.7 %, P = 0.001) and control subjects (mean: 13.9 %, P = 0.001). The active ghrelin ratio was correlated with the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in MSA ( r = −0.5, P = 0.004). Our observations indicate that ghrelin secretion is affected in patients with MSA. The low active ghrelin ratio may contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms in MSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few reports of long-term treatment with docetaxel in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) because of the limit of a maximum of ten cycles of treatment in TAX327 showing a survival benefit. Therefore, this study, ARD6563, was conducted to evaluate the safety of more than ten cycles of docetaxel in metastatic CRPC. Methods: We enrolled patients who had received ten cycles of docetaxel in the preceding study, ARD6562. For ARD6563, patients received docetaxel every 3 weeks, at the last dose (70, 60, or 50 mg/m) received for cycle 10 in ARD6562, with prednisolone 5 mg orally twice daily. Results: The safety analysis set comprised 15 patients (median age, 64 years; performance status, 0 in 87%) out of 43 patients treated in ARD6562. The median initial dose of docetaxel was 60 mg/m, and the median number of additional cycles administered was 8 (range, 1-42). The relative dose intensity was 78.0% for docetaxel and 98.0% for prednisolone. Dose reduction was needed in 3 cycles because of grade 3 infection, febrile neutropenia, and grade 2 neuropathy. Administration delay was necessitated in 6 cycles because of grade 1-2 nonhematological toxicities. The major grade 3-4 toxicities were myelosuppression. Five patients who had an observed partial response or stable disease in ARD6562 maintained their clinical response in ARD6563. The study treatment was discontinued in 10 patients because of disease progression and in 4 patients for serious toxicities. There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions: Long-term docetaxel with prednisolone is feasible in selected Japanese patients with CRPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been demonstrated that taurine has various physiological functions in the body. We demonstrated that taurine is abundant in the serum, liver, muscle and testis of the Japanese eel ( Anguilla japonica). In the eel testis, taurine is found mainly in spermatogonia and is weakly expressed also in the Sertoli cells. We have further found in the eel testis that taurine is actively accumulated via the sodium/chloride-dependent taurine transporter (TauT; SLC6A6), which is expressed in germ cells. In our current study, the effects of taurine on the anti-oxidant response were examined. Taurine was found to promote the total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the testis. Moreover, our results indicate that taurine does not affect the mRNA levels of copper-zinc (Cu/Zn) SOD or manganese SOD, but promotes the translation of Cu/Zn SOD. Overall, our present data suggest that taurine may modulate Cu/Zn SOD at the translational level and thereby may play an important role in the protection of germ cells from oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an efficient and stable method for enhancing spawning of black scrapers in captivity, we examined the following three factors: (1) different kinds of spawning substrate, (2) the area of the spawning substrate, (3) the grain size of the spawning substrate. The results demonstrated that sand is the optimum spawning substrate when compared to a hard polyvinyl chloride sheet, a piece of shading net, or artificial spawning grass. No difference was observed in the spawning frequency between a small sand bed of area 400 cm and sand spread over the bottom of the tank to an area of 7085 cm, since the egg masses were spawned on the sand in a small area approximately 15 cm in diameter. In addition to the spawned eggs, the small movable sand bed is useful for subsequent harvest. No differences were observed in either the spawning frequency or the hatching rate when using sand beds with different grain sizes. In large-scale egg collection trials, an average of 33 egg masses from which an average of 403,000 larval fish were obtained. We can therefore conclude that the procedure developed in the present study is applicable to the commercial-scale seed production of black scraper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In teleost fish, the progestin 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) is an essential component of the spermatogenesis pathway. In a series of investigations on the mechanisms underlying progestin-stimulated spermatogenesis, we have found that DHP up-regulates the expression of cysteine dioxygenase1 (CDO1) in the Japanese eel testis. CDO1 is one of the enzymes involved in the taurine biosynthesis pathway. To evaluate whether taurine is synthesized in the eel testis, cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD), another enzyme involved in taurine synthesis, was isolated from this species. RT-PCR and in vitro eel testicular culture revealed that although CSD was also expressed in eel testis, neither DHP nor other sex steroids affect CSD mRNA expression in a similar manner to CDO1. Using an in vitro eel testicular culture system, we further investigated the effects of DHP on taurine synthesis in the eel testis. HPLC analysis showed that DHP treatment significantly increases the taurine levels in the eel testis. These results suggest that DHP promotes taurine synthesis via the up-regulation of CDO1 mRNA expression during eel spermatogenesis. Furthermore, we observed from our analysis that although taurine does not induce complete spermatogenesis, it promotes spermatogonial DNA synthesis and the expression of Spo11, a meiosis-specific marker. These data thus suggest that taurine augments the effects of sex steroids in the promotion of spermatogonial proliferation and/or meiosis and hence that taurine plays important roles in spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A and B be uniformly closed function algebras on locally compact Hausdorff spaces with Choquet boundaries Ch A and Ch B, respectively. We prove that if T: A → B is a surjective real-linear isometry, then there exist a continuous function κ: Ch B → { z ∈ ℂ: | z| = 1}, a (possibly empty) closed and open subset K of Ch B and a homeomorphism φ: Ch B → Ch A such that T( f) = κ( f ∘ φ) on K and $T\left( f \right) = \kappa \overline {fo\phi }$ on Ch B \ K for all f ∈ A. Such a representation holds for surjective real-linear isometries between (not necessarily uniformly closed) function algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychaetes constitute most of the benthic macroinvertebrates in estuarine and coastal environments. We investigated the utilization of organic matter in two polychaete species, Capitella sp. I and Perinereis nuntia brevicirris, living in different coastal habitats. The protease activity of Capitella sp. I (89.7 μg mg) was about 10 times that of P. nuntia brevicirris (8.0 μg mg) . High cellulase (endo-β-1,4-glucanase) activity was detected in P. nuntia brevicirris (3.2 μg mg), whereas scarcely any was detected in Capitella sp. I. We isolated cDNA clones of protease mRNA from Capitella sp. I and of cellulase mRNA from P. nuntia brevicirris. The high protease activity of Capitella sp. I enabled it to survive in the sediment under a fish farm, where it degrades organic matter. In contrast, the high cellulase activity of the estuary-dwelling P. nuntia brevicirris allowed it to degrade organic matter originating from terrestrial areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $$ A $$ and ℬ be unital semisimple commutative Banach algebras. It is shown that if surjections S,T: $$ A $$ → ℬ with S(1)= T(1)= 1 and α ∈ ℂ \ {0} satisfy r( S( a) T( b) − α)= r( ab− α) for all a,b ∈ $$ A $$, then S= T and S is a real algebra isomorphism, where r( a) is the spectral radius of a. Let I be a nonempty set, A and B be uniform algebras. Let ρ, τ: I → A and S,T: I → B be maps satisfying σ π ( S( p) T( q)) ⊂ σ π ( ρ( p) τ( q)) for all p,q ∈ I, where σ π ( f) is the peripheral spectrum of f. Suppose that the ranges ρ( I), τ( I) ⊂ A and S( I), T( I) ⊂ B are closed under multiplication in a sense, and contain peaking functions “enough”. There exists a homeomorphism ϕ: Ch( B)→Ch( A) such that S( p)( y)= ρ( p)( ϕ( y)) and T( p)( y)= τ( p)( ϕ( y)) for every p ∈ I and y ∈ Ch( B), where Ch( A) is the Choquet boundary of A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A and B be unital, semisimple commutative Banach algebras with the maximal ideal spaces M A and M B, respectively, and let r( a) be the spectral radius of a. We show that if T: A → B is a surjective mapping, not assumed to be linear, satisfying r( T( a) + T( b)) = r( a + b) for all a; b ∈ A, then there exist a homeomorphism φ: M B → M A and a closed and open subset K of M B such that for all a ∈ A, where e is unit element of A. If, in addition, $$ \widehat{T\left( e \right)} = 1 $$ and $$ \widehat{T\left( {ie} \right)} = i $$ on M B, then T is an algebra isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A and B be standard operator algebras on Banach spaces X and Y, respectively. The peripheral spectrum σπ ( T) of T is defined by σπ ( T) = z ∈ σ( T): | z| = maxw∈σ( T) | w|. If surjective (not necessarily linear nor continuous) maps φ, ϕ: A → B satisfy σπ (φ( S)ϕ( T)) = σπ ( ST) for all S; T ∈ A, then φ and ϕ are either of the form φ( T) = A 1 TA 2 −1 and ϕ( T) = A 2 TA 1 −1 for some bijective bounded linear operators A 1; A 2 of X onto Y, or of the form φ( T) = B 1 T* B 2 −1 and ϕ( T) = B 2 T* B −1 for some bijective bounded linear operators B 1; B 2 of X* onto Y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $${\mathcal{A}}$$ and $${\mathcal{B}}$$ be uniform algebras and p( z, w) = z m w n a twovariable monomial. We characterize maps T from certain subsets of $${\mathcal{A}}$$ into $${\mathcal{B}}$$ such that $$\sigma_{\pi}(p(T(f),T(g))) \subset \sigma_{\pi}(p(f,g))$$ holds for all f and g in the domain of T; peripherally monomial-preserving maps. Furthermore $${\mathcal{A}}$$ and $${\mathcal{B}}$$ are proved to be isometrical isomorphic as Banach algebras. If the greatest common divisor of m and n is 1, then T is extended to an isometrical linear isomorphism; a weighted composition operator. An example of peripherally monomial-preserving surjections between uniform algebras which is not linear, nor multiplicative, nor injective is given when the greatest common divisor is strictly greater than 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X be a set with a binary operation ο such that, for each x, y, z ϵ X, either (x ο y) οz = (x ο z) οy, or zο(xοy) = xο(zοy).We show the superstability of the functional equation g(xοy) = g(x)g(y). More explicitly, if ε ⩾ 0 and f : X → C satisfies ∣f(x ο y) - f(x)f(y)∣ ε for each x, y ϵ X, then f(x ο y) = f(x)f(y) for all x, y ʹ X, or ∣f(x)∣ ⩽ (1 + √ 1 + 4ε)/2 for all x ϵ X. In the latter case, the constant (1 + √1 + 4ε)/2 is the best possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“A meta-enzyme approach” is proposed as an ecological enzymatic method to explore the potential functions of microbial communities in extreme environments such as the deep marine subsurface. We evaluated a variety of extra-cellular enzyme activities of sediment slurries and isolates from a deep subseafloor sediment core. Using the new deep-sea drilling vessel “Chikyu”, we obtained 365 m of core sediments that contained ∼2% organic matter and considerable amounts of methane from offshore the Shimokita Peninsula in Japan at a water depth of 1,180 m. In the extra-sediment fraction of the slurry samples, phosphatase, esterase, and catalase activities were detected consistently throughout the core sediments down to the deepest slurry sample from 342.5 m below seafloor (mbsf). Detectable enzyme activities predicted the existence of a sizable population of viable aerobic microorganisms even in deep subseafloor habitats. The subsequent quantitative cultivation using solid media represented remarkably high numbers of aerobic, heterotrophic microbial populations (e.g., maximally 4.4 × 107 cells cm−3 at 342.5 mbsf). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the predominant cultivated microbial components were affiliated with the genera Bacillus, Shewanella, Pseudoalteromonas, Halomonas, Pseudomonas, Paracoccus, Rhodococcus, Microbacterium, and Flexibacteracea. Many of the predominant and scarce isolates produced a variety of extra-cellular enzymes such as proteases, amylases, lipases, chitinases, phosphatases, and deoxyribonucleases. Our results indicate that microbes in the deep subseafloor environment off Shimokita are metabolically active and that the cultivable populations may have a great potential in biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We systematically investigated the role of HSP genes in the growth and survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under high hydrostatic pressure together with analysis of pressure-regulated gene expression. Cells of strain BY4742 were capable of growth at moderate pressure of 25 MPa. When pressure of 25 MPa was applied to the cells, the expression of HSP78, HSP104, and HSP10 was upregulated by about 3- to 4-fold, and that of HSP32, HSP42, and HSP82 was upregulated by about 2- to 2.6-fold. However, the loss of one of the six genes did not markedly affect growth at 25 MPa, while the loss of HSP31 impaired high-pressure growth. These results suggest that Hsp31 plays a role in high-pressure growth but that the six upregulated genes do not. Extremely high pressure of 125 MPa decreased the viability of the wild-type cells to 1% of the control level. Notably, the loss of HSP genes other than HSP31 enhanced the survival rate by about fivefold at 125 MPa, suggesting that the cellular defensive system against high pressure could be strengthened upon the loss of the HSP genes. In this paper, we describe the requirement for and significance of a subset of HSP genes in yeast cell growth at moderate pressure and survival at extremely high pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish spermatogenesis, from spermatogonial stem-cell renewal to sperm maturation, is controlled by the sex steroid hormones. Mitotic divisions of spermatogonia can be categorized by spermatogonial stem cell renewal and spermatogonial proliferation. Spermatogonial renewal is regulated by estradiol-17ß (E2; the natural estrogen in vertebrates), and spermatogonial proliferation toward meiosis is promoted by 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), the main androgen in teleost. The action of E2 and 11-KT is mediated by other factors produced by Sertoli cells; E2 is mediated by spermatogonial stem-cell renewal factor and 11-KT is mediated by spermatogenesis preventing substance and activin B. Although 11-KT also induce meiosis and spermiogenesis, the control mechanisms of these processe are not clear. After spermiogenesis, immature spermatozoa undergo sperm maturation. Sperm maturation is regulated by 17a,20ß-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP), which is progestin in teleost. The DHP acts directly on spermatozoa to active the carbonic anhydrase existed in the spermatozoa. This enzymatic activation causes an increase in the seminal plasma pH, enabling spermatozoa to motile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity and expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was analyzed in a copper-tolerant yeast, Cryptococcus sp. N6. Using cell extracts, two distinct bands exhibiting SOD activity appeared on native PAGE: one band, with higher mobility, appeared when the cells were grown without CuSO4, and the other band appeared when the cells were grown with 10 mM CuSO4. Cells grown with 3 mM CuSO4 produced both SOD isoforms. Western blot analysis, using a monoclonal antibody against human SOD-1, showed that SOD protein was expressed in the absence of CuSO4 and that the expression level increased when the cells were grown with 3 or 10 mM CuSO4. The molecular weight of SOD from strain N6 was approx. 18 kDa. Treatment of the cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide at 0.5 μg ml-1, did not affect cell growth in the absence of CuSO4 but significantly inhibited growth in the presence of 10 mM CuSO4 and inhibited expression of SOD protein. This suggests that SOD may play a role in cell growth in the presence of high concentrations of CuSO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen yeast strains were isolated from deep-sea sediment samples collected at a depth of 4500 m to 6500 m in the Japan Trench. Amongst them, strain N6 possessed high tolerance against Cu2+ and could grow on yeast extract/peptone/dextrose/agar containing 50 mM CuSO4. Analysis of the 18S rDNA sequence indicates strain N6 belongs to the genus Cryptococcus. In contrast, the type strain of C. albidus, a typical marine yeast Rhodotorula ingeniosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae did not grow at high concentrations of CuSO4. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the scavenging of superoxide radicals. The activity of SOD in cell extract of strain N6 was very weak (<1 mU μg-1 total protein) when the strain was grown in the absence of CuSO4. However, the activity was stimulated (25.8 mU μg-1 total protein) when cells were grown with 1 mM CuSO4 and further enhanced to 110 mU μg-1 total protein with 10 mM CuSO4. Catalase activity was increased only 1.4 or 1.1-fold with 1 mM or 10 mM CuSO4 in the growth medium, respectively. These results suggest that SOD may have a role in the defensive mechanisms against high concentrations of CuSO4 in strain N6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel endo-type polygalacturonases (PGase), with molecular weights of 36 kDa and 40 kDa (named p36 and p40, respectively), were purified from the supernatant of the culture medium of a deep-sea yeast, strain N6, isolated from the Japan Trench. The N-terminal 20 amino acids of p36 and p40 were identical, and the sequence homology was 47.4% in comparison with the PGase of Fusarium moniliforme. A treatment of p40 with glycopeptidase F reduced the molecular weight to 36 kDa, suggesting that p40 possessed N-acetylglucosamines on its asparagine residues and p40 might be matured by glycosylation of p36. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since intravesical recurrence of superficial bladder cancer (Ta, T1) after transurethral resection (TUR) is frequent, adjuvant therapy to reduce the recurrence rate has been extensively investigated. Although intravesical chemotherapy has been employed for 30 years or more, neither the exact effect on the bladder epithelium nor the optimal dose and administration schedule has yet been clarified. In recent years, several derivatives of Adriamycin (ADR) have been developed, and 4′-epirubicin (FARM) is one of them. This drug has been shown to have antitumor effects almost equal to those of ADR and to produce less toxicity when given systemically as chemotherapy. In an attempt to clarify the effect of intravesical FARM in the prevention of recurrence of superficial bladder cancer, we conducted a prospective randomized trial to compare the effects of equal doses of FARM and ADR given by intravesical instillation after TUR in cases of highly recurrent superficial bladder cancer. A total of 73 patients with recurrent superficial bladder cancer were randomized to receive TUR and either 30 mg FARM or 30 mg ADR by intravesical instillation every 2-4 weeks for 1 year. The prophylactic effect on recurrence and the toxic effects of these drugs were investigated. The current results show that FARM provides efficacy almost equal to that of ADR in the prevention of recurrence in these patients. However, FARM also caused almost the same local toxic effects (bladder irritation, among others) as ADR. On the basis of these preliminary results, FARM is surmised to be one of the agents as beneficial as ADR in the prevention of recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to improve the poor prognosis of invasive and/or high-grade bladder cancer after total cystectomy, we tried a combination of regional irradiation with hyperthermia (RH) therapy and systemic M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, Adriamycin, and cisplatin) chemotherapy followed by surgery. The short-term results of these treatments were evaluated. A total of 17 patients received the combination of RH and M-VAC therapy between January 1989 and July 1990, and 12 then underwent total cystectomy. Of the 17 patients, 14 were evaluable for tumor response. The objective response rate was 64% (9/14), with 4 patients achieving a complete remission that was confirmed by histological examination. Nausea and vomiting were inevitable, and 71% (12/17) of the patients developed leukopenia. However, these side effects were not serious. Considering the previous results obtained using RH therapy in the absence of chemotherapy for this disease, no significant difference in the tumor response was detected between the RH only group and the RH plus M-VAC group. The long-term results cannot yet be evaluated, but we will continue to follow these patients in the future so as to clarify the usefulness of M-VAC therapy as preoperative therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tau aggregates in neurons of brain lesions is a hallmark pathology of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggest that the RNA-binding protein TIA1 initiates Tau aggregation by inducing the formation of stress granules (SGs) containing Tau. SGs are stress-inducible cytoplasmic protein aggregates containing many RNA-binding proteins that has been implicated as an initial site of multiple pathogenic protein aggregates in several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we found that ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) is a critical factor for the formation of Tau/TIA1/USP10-positive SGs. Proteasome inhibition or TIA1-overexpression in HT22 neuronal cells induced the formation of TIA1/Tau-positive SGs, and the formations were severely attenuated by depletion of USP10. In addition, the overexpression of USP10 without stress stimuli in HT22 cells induced TIA1/Tau/USP10-positive SGs in a deubiquitinase-independent manner. In AD brain lesions, USP10 was colocalized with Tau aggregates in the cell body of neurons. The present findings suggest that USP10 plays a key role in the initiation of pathogenic Tau aggregation in AD through SG formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that every commutative JB ∗ -triple, represented as a space of continuous functions C 0 T (L) , satisfies the complex Mazur–Ulam property, that is, every surjective isometry from the unit sphere of C 0 T (L) onto the unit sphere of any complex Banach space admits an extension to a surjective real linear isometry between the spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]