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Previous studies have reported the relationship between housing environment and health, although due to cost and effort, it was difficult to conduct housing condition surveys on a large scale. The CASBEE Housing Health Checklist (the Checklist) made it possible to easily evaluate the housing condition from the resident's perspective. This study examined the relationship between housing coldness/warmth evaluation using the Checklist and psychological distress in a large-scale general Japanese population.A cross-sectional study.We analysed data from 29,380 people aged ≥20 years who lived in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As an assessment of housing coldness/warmth, we used the Checklist. We classified participants' total scores on the Checklist related to coldness/warmth into quartiles. The Kessler 6 scale was used as an indicator of psychological distress. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Adjusted OR and P-values for linear trends were calculated using the quartiles of the Checklists' score.Among participants in Q1 (i.e., poorer subjective house condition), the percentage of people with psychological distress was high. Compared to the highest quartile, Q1 showed poorer evaluation of housing coldness/warmth, and higher OR for psychological distress. The OR (95% CI) of psychological distress for Q3, Q2, and Q1 compared with Q4 were 1.93 (1.74-2.14), 2.82 (2.55-3.12), and 5.78 (5.25-6.35), respectively.Housing coldness/warmth evaluation was significantly related to psychological distress. This finding suggests that maintaining a comfortable thermal environment at home could be important for residents' mental health.

Background Tree squirrels (Sciuridae, Sciurini), in particular the highly diverse Neotropical lineages, are amongst the most rapidly diversifying branches of the mammal tree of life but also some of the least known. Negligence of this group by systematists is likely a product of the difficulties in assessing morphological informative traits and of the scarcity or unavailability of fresh tissue samples for DNA sequencing. The highly discrepant taxonomic arrangements are a consequence of the lack of phylogenies and the exclusive phenotypic-based classifications, which can be misleading in a group with conservative morphology. Here we used high-throughput sequencing and an unprecedented sampling of museum specimens to provide the first comprehensive phylogeny of tree squirrels, with a special emphasis on Neotropical taxa. Results We obtained complete or partial mitochondrial genomes from 232 historical and modern samples, representing 40 of the 43 currently recognized species of Sciurini. Our phylogenetic analyses—performed with datasets differing on levels of missing data and taxa under distinct analytical methods—strongly support the monophyly of Sciurini and consistently recovered 12 major clades within the tribe. We found evidence that the diversity of Neotropical tree squirrels is underestimated, with at least six lineages that represent taxa to be named or revalidated. Ancestral state reconstructions of number of upper premolars and number of mammae indicated that alternative conditions of both characters must have evolved multiple times throughout the evolutionary history of tree squirrels. Conclusions Complete mitogenomes were obtained from museum specimens as old as 120 years, reinforcing the potential of historical samples for phylogenetic inferences of elusive lineages of the tree of life. None of the taxonomic arrangements ever proposed for tree squirrels fully corresponded to our phylogenetic reconstruction, with only a few of the currently recognized genera recovered as monophyletic. By investigating the evolution of two morphological traits widely employed in the taxonomy of the group, we revealed that their homoplastic nature can help explain the incongruence between phylogenetic results and the classification schemes presented so far. Based on our phylogenetic results we suggest a tentative supraspecific taxonomic arrangement for Sciurini, employing 13 generic names used in previous taxonomic classifications.

Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are a charismatic symbol of the American West. Their large social aggregations and complex vocalizations have been the subject of scientific and popular interest for decades. A large body of literature has documented their role as keystone species of western North America’s grasslands: They generate habitat for other vertebrates, increase nutrient availability for plants, and act as a food source for mammalian, squamate, and avian predators. An additional keystone role lies in their extreme susceptibility to sylvatic plague (caused by Yersinia pestis), which results in periodic population extinctions, thereby generating spatiotemporal heterogeneity in both biotic communities and ecological processes. Here, we report the first Cynomys genome for a Gunnison’s prairie dog (C. gunnisoni gunnisoni) from Telluride, Colorado (USA). The genome was constructed using a hybrid assembly of PacBio and Illumina reads and assembled with MaSuRCA and PBJelly, which resulted in a scaffold N50 of 824 kb. Total genome size was 2.67 Gb, with 32.46% of the bases occurring in repeat regions. We recovered 94.9% (91% complete) of the single copy orthologs using the mammalian Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs database and detected 49,377 gene models (332,141 coding regions). Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent showed support for long-term stable population size followed by a steady decline beginning near the end of the Pleistocene, as well as a recent population reduction. The genome will aid in studies of mammalian evolution, disease resistance, and the genomic basis of life history traits in ground squirrels.

Background and study aims: This study evaluated the long- term outcomes of mainly endoscopic hemostatic therapy for gastrointestinal variceal bleeding and of the transition of hemostatic therapy. Patients and methods: Among 1,163 patients treated for gastrointestinal varices between April 2006 and June 2020, a total of 125 patients who underwent emergency hemostatic therapy were enrolled. Survival rates and secondary evaluation points were analyzed. Additionally, patients were classified into two groups: the previous and latter term. Patients’ background, therapeutic method, and treatment results were compared between the groups. Results: 94.4% had cirrhosis. The average Child-Pugh score was 8.90. Successful primary hemostasis rate was 98.4%, and 5.6% died within 2 weeks, all with a Child-Pugh score ≥9. The respective 1- and 5-year survival rates for Child-Pugh grade A/B were 81.3% and 55.4%, while those for Child-Pugh grade C were 58.1% and 17.8%. Child-Pugh grade C or hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly associated with poor prognosis. In total, 21.6% experienced variceal re-bleeding; 62.9% of these cases were triggered by continued alcohol consumption. There was no significant difference in survival between patients with and without variceal re-bleeding and in post-treatment survival between the previous and latter terms. In the latter term, the number of cases caused by continued alcohol consumption significantly increased. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary treatment and continuation of proper management after hemostatic therapy for variceal bleeding are crucial. Continued alcohol consumption leads to variceal bleeding and re-bleeding; its proper management, including alcohol abstinence, is one of the major challenges left in the post-direct- acting antivirals era.

Introduced into Hawaii in the early 1900s, the Japanese white-eye or warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) is now the most abundant land bird in the archipelago. Here, we present the first Z. japonicus genome, sequenced from an individual in its invasive range. This genome provides an important resource for future studies in invasion genomics. We annotated the genome using two workflows—standalone AUGUSTUS and BRAKER2. We found that AUGUSTUS was more conservative with gene predictions when compared with BRAKER2. The final number of annotated gene models was similar between the two workflows, but standalone AUGUSTUS had over 70% of gene predictions with Blast2GO annotations versus under 30% using BRAKER2. Additionally, we tested whether using RNA-seq data from 47 samples had a significant impact on annotation quality when compared with data from a single sample, as generating RNA-seq data for genome annotation can be expensive and requires well preserved tissue. We found that more data did not significantly change the number of annotated genes using AUGUSTUS but using BRAKER2 the number increased substantially. The results presented here will aid researchers in annotating draft genomes of nonmodel species as well as those studying invasion success.

Here, we present the initial comparison of the nuclear genomes of the North American raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the kinkajou (Potos flavus) based on draft assemblies. These two species encompass almost 21 Myr of evolutionary history within Procyonidae. Because assemblies greatly impact downstream results, such as gene prediction and annotation, we tested three de novo assembly strategies (implemented in ALLPATHS-LG, MaSuRCA, and Platanus), some of which are optimized for highly heterozygous genomes. We discovered significant variation in contig and scaffold N50 and L50 statistics and genome completeness depending on the de novo assembler used. We compared the performance of these three assembly algorithms in hopes that this study will aid others looking to improve the quality of existing draft genome assemblies even without additional sequence data. We also estimate the demographic histories of raccoons and kinkajous using the Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent and discuss the variation in population sizes with respect to climatic change during the Pleistocene, as well as aspects of their ecology and taxonomy. Our goal is to achieve a better understanding of the evolutionary history of procyonids and to create robust genomic resources for future studies regarding adaptive divergence and selection.

Tree squirrels (Sciurinae, Sciurini) represent a diverse radiation that successfully colonized Europe, Asia and the Americas during the Miocene-Pliocene, but information on their evolutionary history remains unclear. In the Neotropics, they have been shown to exhibit the highest rate of diversification amongst all arboreal squirrels, with strikingly high species accumulation rates in the past 3 My. In this study, we investigated the tempo and mode of diversification of tree squirrels using a mitogenome dataset that includes 43 Sciurini species. Our results corroborate the date of origin of the tribe Sciurini around 14 Mya (13.4-15.5) but suggest that their ancestral area was most likely in North America. This is in contrast to previous findings that suggested that the ancestors of this tribe occupied Eurasia. We estimated that cladogenetic events leading to the Eurasian lineages occurred twice at 10.5 and 9.7 Mya. Current North American genera originated in a temporal window from 6.2 to 2.3 Mya, and the origin of the Neotropical radiation was estimated to have occurred around 6 Mya in northwestern South America in the Pacific dominion. Remarkably, our results indicate that tree squirrels entered South America at an earlier date than previously estimated. This could have happened either through a land corridor connecting the Caribbean islands or through the Panamanian land bridge. Most cladogenetic events in Eurasia and North America appear to have occurred either late in the Miocene or in the Pleistocene, while the majority of Neotropical cladogenetic events occurred along the Pliocene—right after the South American invasion. We found a fairly constant speciation rate for tree squirrels (averaging 0.29), which contrasts with the peak of lineage accumulation observed in the Pliocene. The absence of fluctuations in the diversification rate may be the result of several extinction events that were responsible for equalizing the number of lineages maintained over time. Finally, we conclude that the South American invasion was not as recent as previously inferred, but the diversification there was indeed very fast.

Summary Background & aims The associations between dietary magnesium intake and stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) incidences are inconsistent and not established in Asian. We aimed to determine the association between dietary magnesium intake and the risk of stroke and CHD in a Japanese population. Subjects/Methods We studied 85,293 Japanese subjects by questionnaire at baseline (age 45–74 years, without cardiovascular disease or cancer in 1995 and 1998 for Cohorts I and II, respectively). The participants were followed until the end of 2009 and 2010 in Cohorts I and II, respectively. Dietary magnesium intake was estimated from a self-administered 138-item food-frequency questionnaire. Results After 1,305,738 person-years of follow-up, 4110 strokes and 1283 cases of CHD were documented. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs, 95% confidence intervals, 95%CIs) of CHD for the fourth and fifth quintiles of dietary magnesium intake were 0.70 (0.50–0.99) and 0.66 (0.44–0.97) in men (P for trend = 0.036), respectively, and third quintile of dietary magnesium intake was 0.61 (0.39–0.96) in women (P for trend = 0.241), compared with the lowest quintile in men and women. We observed no decreased risks of incident stroke in men or women with higher dietary magnesium intakes. Conclusions Higher dietary magnesium intake was associated with a reduced risk of CHD in Japanese men.

A finding between dietary pattern and cancer may provide visions beyond the assessment of individual foods or nutrients. We examined the influence of dietary pattern with colorectal cancer (CRC) among a Japanese population.A total of 93,062 subjects (43,591 men, 49,471 women) who participated in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study were followed from 1995-1998 to the end of 2012, during which 2482 cases of CRC (1514 men, 968 women) were newly identified. Dietary data was obtained from a validated food-frequency questionnaire between 1995 and 1998.Three dietary pattern was derived from principal components factor: prudent, westernized, and traditional pattern. After controlled for potential confounders, the prudent pattern showed a decreased association of CRC risk in men (HR for highest quintile vs lowest: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.72-1.00; P trend0.05), slightly more strongly with distal colon cancer (P trend0.05); but an increased risk of rectal cancer in women (P trend0.05). The westernized pattern showed a significant positive linear trend for colon (P trend0.05) and distal cancer (P trend0.05) in women. There was no apparent association of traditional Japanese dietary pattern on the overall or any specific sites risk of CRC.A prudent dietary pattern showed an inverse association with CRC risk in men, and a westernized pattern was related with a higher risk of colon and distal cancer in women.

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a primary role in resistance to infectious disease and have been implicated in mate choice and recognition of close relatives. We describe genetic diversity at three MHC class II genes in urban and non-urban populations of San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), an endangered canid endemic to California’s San Joaquin Valley. We used multi-tagged pyrosequencing synthesis to characterize genetic diversity in 96 kit foxes at three MHC class II genes, DQA1, DQB1, and DRB1. Using rigorous bioinformatics methods to limit sequencing artifacts, we identified 11 DQA alleles, 13 DQB alleles, and 29 DRB alleles, which translated into 1, 7, and 28 unique antigen-binding sites for the respective genes. The high polymorphism did not correlate with sequencing depth or sample location but was found across individuals and indicated polygenic loci for DQB (two gene copies) and DRB (three copies). A phylogeny based on all known carnivore MHC alleles resolved two major clades, one with alleles from DQA and one with alleles from DQB and DRB, regardless of the taxa. Based on Tajima’s D, we found evidence of negative selection in DQA (D = −1.90) and positive selection in DRB (D = 2.36). We analyzed 48 urban kit foxes that were living in the city of Bakersfield and 48 non-urban foxes living in the nearby LoKern and Carrizo plain areas. We found similar levels of MHC allelic diversity in the urban and non-urban populations. However, many of the common DRB alleles found in the non-urban population were absent in the urban population. This could result from a founder effect or different selective pressures on the two populations. The levels of MHC diversity in the SJKF are similar to or higher than MHC diversity of more wide-spread canid species, although this subspecies has been isolated in the San Joaquin Valley for millennia and has low mtDNA haplotype diversity. Our study provides baseline data on three MHC genes that can contribute to future studies of disease resistance and mate choice in the endangered San Joaquin kit fox.

Supplemental Material, MTX_Table#6-S for Modulation of methotrexate-induced intestinal mucosal injury by dietary factors by T Higuchi, M Yoshimura, S Oka, K Tanaka, T Naito, S Yuhara, E Warabi, S Mizuno, M Ono, S Takahashi, S Tohma, N Tsuchiya and H Furukawa in Human & Experimental Toxicology

Myotis planiceps (flat-headed myotis) was known from only 3 specimens collected from 3 different sites in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Zacatecas, Mexico, since its discovery in 1952. The last specimen was collected in 1970; in 1996, after efforts to recollect samples failed, the species was listed as extinct. However, an expedition in 2004 rediscovered a population of M. planiceps and the species was relisted as endangered. Members of this species have a conspicuously flattened cranium, speculated to be an adaptation for living in crevices; however, little is known about its biology and, to date, little work has been done to clarify its phylogenetic relationships with other members of the genus Myotis . In order to elucidate the placement of M. planiceps within the Myotis phylogeny, we sequenced 1,140 base pairs (bps) of the mitochondrial cytochrome- b gene ( Cytb ) and 1,148 bps of the nuclear Recombination Activating Gene 2 ( rag2 ) from 7 samples collected from 4 different localities in north-central Mexico. We found 4 different haplotypes for Cytb that differed by 0.14% mean sequence divergence and 13 alleles for rag2 within samples of M. planiceps . We performed maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses to compare these samples with Myotis sequences available on GenBank. All reconstructions placed M. planiceps within a strongly supported clade including several Nearctic Myotis ( M. volans , M. sodalis , M. lucifugus , M. thysanodes , and M. evotis ). M. planiceps forms a paraphyletic relationship with M. volans , despite significant differences in skull morphology between the 2 species. Myotis planiceps (Myotis de cabeza plana) era conocido a partir de solo 3 especimenes recolectados en 3 sitios diferentes en los estados de Coahuila, Nuevo Leon y Zacatecas, Mexico, desde su descubrimiento en 1952. El ultimo ejemplar se colecto en 1970 y la especie fue declarada extinta en 1996, despues de que fallaron los esfuerzos para recolectar mas muestras. Sin embargo, durante una expedicion en 2004 se redescubrio una poblacion de M. planiceps y la especie fue recategorizada bajo Peligro de Extincion. Los miembros de esta especie tienen un craneo visiblemente aplanado, rasgo que se especula seria una adaptacion para vivir en las grietas; sin embargo, se sabe poco sobre su biologia y, hasta la fecha, poco se ha hecho para aclarar sus relaciones filogeneticas con otros miembros del genero Myotis . Con el fin de dilucidar la posicion de M. planiceps dentro de la filogenia de Myotis , secuenciamos 1140 pb del gen mitocondrial citocromo-b ( Cytb ) y 1148 pb del gen nuclear Activador de la Recombinacion 2 ( rag2 ) a partir de 7 muestras recolectadas de 4 localidades diferentes en la region norte-central de Mexico. Encontramos 4 haplotipos diferentes para Cytb que presentaron un promedio de divergencia de secuencia de 0.14%, y 13 alelos del gen rag2 en muestras de M. planiceps . Realizamos analisis de maxima parsimonia, maxima verosimilitud y Bayesiano para comparar estas muestras con otras secuencias de Myotis disponibles en GenBank. Todas las reconstrucciones ubican a M. planiceps dentro de un clado bien soportado que incluye tambien a varios Myotis del Neartico ( M. volans , M. sodalis , M. lucifugus , M. thysanodes , y M. evotis ). M. planiceps forma una relacion parafiletica con M. volans , a pesar de diferencias significativas en la morfologia del craneo entre estas especies.

Aims Coping strategies may be significantly associated with health outcomes. This is the first study to investigate the association between baseline coping strategies and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality in a general population cohort. Methods and results The Japan Public Health Center-based prospective Study asked questions on coping in its third follow-up survey (2000–04). Analyses on CVD incidence and mortality included 57 017 subjects aged 50–79 without a history of CVD and who provided complete answers on approach- and avoidance-oriented coping behaviours and strategies. Cox regression models, adjusted for confounders, were used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) according to coping style. Mean follow-up time was 7.9 years for incidence and 8.0 years for mortality. The premorbid use of an approach-oriented coping strategy was inversely associated with incidence of stroke (HR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73–1.00) and CVD mortality (HR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55–0.99). Stroke subtype analyses revealed an inverse association between the approach-oriented coping strategy and incidence of ischaemic stroke (HR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64–0.98) and a positive association between the combined coping strategy and incidence of intra-parenchymal haemorrhage (HR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.01–4.10). Utilizing an avoidance coping strategy was associated with increased mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) only in hypertensive individuals (HR = 3.46; 95% CI, 1.07–11.18). The coping behaviours fantasizing and positive reappraisal were associated with increased risk of CVD incidence (HR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03–1.50) and reduced risk of IHD mortality (HR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40–0.99), respectively. Conclusion An approach-oriented coping strategy, i.e. proactively dealing with sources of stress, may be associated with significantly reduced stroke incidence and CVD mortality in a Japanese population-based cohort.

Here, we present a set of RNA-based probes for whole mitochondrial genome in-solution enrichment, targeting a diversity of mammalian mitogenomes. This probes set was designed from seven mammalian orders and tested to determine the utility for enriching degraded DNA. We generated 63 mitogenomes representing five orders and 22 genera of mammals that yielded varying coverage ranging from 0 to >5400X. Based on a threshold of 70% mitogenome recovery and at least 10× average coverage, 32 individuals or 51% of samples were considered successful. The estimated sequence divergence of samples from the probe sequences used to construct the array ranged up to nearly 20%. Sample type was more predictive of mitogenome recovery than sample age. The proportion of reads from each individual in multiplexed enrichments was highly skewed, with each pool having one sample that yielded a majority of the reads. Recovery across each mitochondrial gene varied with most samples exhibiting regions with gaps or ambiguous sites. We estimated the ability of the probes to capture mitogenomes from a diversity of mammalian taxa not included here by performing a clustering analysis of published sequences for 100 taxa representing most mammalian orders. Our study demonstrates that a general array can be cost and time effective when there is a need to screen a modest number of individuals from a variety of taxa. We also address the practical concerns for using such a tool, with regard to pooling samples, generating high quality mitogenomes and detail a pipeline to remove chimeric molecules.

Background and aims Higher intake of fish or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is unclear whether increased blood levels of n-3 PUFAs are associated with reduced risk of CHD in the Japanese population. Methods The relationship between circulating levels of n-3 PUFAs (eicosapentaenoic acid + docosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid) and risk of CHD was examined in a nested case-control study among participants in the Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-based Study Cohort. Plasma n-3 PUFA phospholipid levels were measured at baseline by gas chromatography in 209 cases with CHD and 418 controls matched for sex, age, date of blood draw, time elapsed since last meal before blood collection, and study location. The CHD cases (n = 209) comprised 168 cases of myocardial infarction and 41 of sudden cardiac death, otherwise classified as 157 non-fatal and 52 fatal coronary events, respectively. Mean duration of follow-up was 13.5 years. Results Multivariate conditional logistic analysis showed no significant association between n-3 PUFAs and risk of total CHD. The odds ratio (OR) for the highest versus lowest quartiles of plasma n-3 PUFAs was 0.79 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.41–1.51, p for trend = 0.51). Subtype analysis of CHD revealed that the multivariate ORs for the highest versus lowest quartiles for n-3 PUFAs were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.43–1.89, p for trend = 0.90) for myocardial infarction, 0.08 (95% CI: 0.01–0.88, p for trend = 0.04) for sudden cardiac death, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.42–1.89, p for trend = 0.97) for nonfatal coronary events, and 0.12 (95% CI: 0.02–0.75, p for trend = 0.03) for fatal coronary events. Conclusions Plasma n-3 PUFA levels were not associated with risk of total CHD but were inversely associated with risks of sudden cardiac death and fatal coronary events among middle-aged Japanese individuals.

Microscopy and precise observation are essential skills that are challenging to teach effectively to large numbers of undergraduate biology students. We implemented student-driven digital imaging assignments for microscopy in a large-enrollment laboratory for organismal biology. We detail how we promoted student engagement with the material and how we assessed student learning in both formative and summative formats using digital images. Students worked in pairs to collect over 60 digital images of their microscopic observations over the semester and then individually created electronic portfolios, which were submitted for a grade.

Rice plants grown in paddy fields preferentially use ammonium as a source of inorganic nitrogen. Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyses the conversion of ammonium to glutamine. Of the three genes encoding cytosolic GS in rice, OsGS1;1 is critical for normal growth and grain filling. However, the basis of its physiological function that may alter the rate of nitrogen assimilation and carbon metabolism within the context of metabolic networks remains unclear. To address this issue, we carried out quantitative comparative analyses between the metabolite profiles of a rice mutant lacking OsGS1;1 and its background wild type (WT). The mutant plants exhibited severe retardation of shoot growth in the presence of ammonium compared with the WT. Overaccumulation of free ammonium in the leaf sheath and roots of the mutant indicated the importance of OsGS1;1 for ammonium assimilation in both organs. The metabolite profiles of the mutant line revealed: (i) an imbalance in levels of sugars, amino acids and metabolites in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and (ii) overaccumulation of secondary metabolites, particularly in the roots under a continuous supply of ammonium. Metabolite-to-metabolite correlation analysis revealed the presence of mutant-specific networks between tryptamine and other primary metabolites in the roots. These results demonstrated a crucial function of OsGS1;1 in coordinating the global metabolic network in rice plants grown using ammonium as the nitrogen source.

Irradiation-induced changes of the atomic distributions of solute and impurity elements around carbides in a reactor pressure vessel steel of a Belgium nuclear power reactor were investigated by laser-assisted local electrode-type three-dimensional atom probe, before and after in-service irradiation of 12 years. Before irradiation, nano-scale Fe-Mn-Cr-Mo carbides were found to be intragranular. The atomic distributions of Mn, Cr and Mo inside the carbide indicate that their concentrations around the inner carbide-matrix interface were enhanced, while a clear segregation of P at the interface was observed. After irradiation, the Mn concentration in the carbide increased substantially. In addition, the enhancement of Mn, Cr and Mo concentrations around the interface and the segregation of P were markedly intensified. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plants play an important role in the global sulphur cycle because they assimilate sulphur from the environment and build it into methionine and cysteine. Several genes of the sulphur assimilation pathway are regulated by microRNA-395 (miR395) that is itself induced by a low-sulphur (-S) environment. Here, we show that the six Arabidopsis miR395 loci are induced differently. We find that MIR395 loci are expressed in the vascular system of roots and leaves and root tips. Induction of miR395 by a -S environment in both roots and leaves suggests that translocation of miR395 from leaves to roots through the phloem is not necessary for plants growing on -S soil/medium. We also demonstrate that induction of miR395 is controlled by SLIM1, a key transcription factor in the sulphur assimilation pathway. Unexpectedly, the mRNA level of a miR395 target gene, SULTR2;1, strongly increases during miR395 induction in roots. We show that the spatial expression pattern of MIR395 transcripts in the vascular system does not appear to overlap with the expression pattern previously reported for SULTR2;1 mRNA. These results illustrate that negative temporal correlation between the expression level of a miRNA and its target gene in a complex tissue cannot be a requirement for target gene validation.

Pollen represents an important nitrogen sink in fl owers to ensure pollen viability. Since pollen cells are symplasmically isolated during maturation and germination, membrane transporters are required for nitrogen import across the pollen plasma membrane. This study describes the characterization of the ammonium transporter AtAMT1;4, a so far uncharacterized member of the Arabidopsis AMT1 family, which is suggested to be involved in transporting ammonium into pollen. The AtAMT1;4 gene encodes a functional ammonium transporter when heterologously expressed in yeast or when overexpressed in Arabidopsis roots. Concentration-dependent analysis of 15 N-labeled ammonium infl ux into roots of AtAMT1;4 -transformed plants allowed characterization of AtAMT1;4 as a highaffi nity transporter with a K m of 17 µ M. RNA and protein gel blot analysis showed expression of AtAMT1;4 in fl owers, and promoter–gene fusions to the green fl uorescent protein (GFP) further defi ned its exclusive expression in pollen grains and pollen tubes. The AtAMT1;4 protein appeared to be localized to the plasma membrane as indicated by protein gel blot analysis of plasma membraneenriched membrane fractions and by visualization of GFP-tagged AtAMT1;4 protein in pollen grains and pollen tubes. However, no phenotype related to pollen function could be observed in a transposon-tagged line, in which AtAMT1;4 expression is disrupted. These results suggest that AtAMT1;4 mediates ammonium uptake across the plasma membrane of pollen to contribute to nitrogen nutrition of pollen via ammonium uptake or retrieval.

The tests of mechanical properties of the rare earth single grain bulk superconductors have been conducted. In this study, three-point bending high cycle fatigue tests loaded in the a/b -axis direction and the bending fatigue crack propagation tests loaded in the c -axis direction of Dy123 bulk superconductor with 25 vol.% 211 particles have been carried out at room temperature. No specimen has broken up to the number of cycles 10 6 at the maximum stresses less than 60 MPa, the fatigue limit. This value equals approximately to 88% of the average bending strength of the bulk superconductor obtained by the three point bending tests. All the specimens subjected to cyclic stress above the fatigue limit were broken within the number of cycles of about 2 × 10 4 . The threshold stress intensity factor for the crack propagation of Dy123 bulk was in the range of 0.93–1.33 MPa√m. The crack propagation rate obtained during the propagation test significantly scattered. The optical microscopy showed that the fatigue crack propagated with significant deflection to a/b direction making use of pre-existing a/c or b/c cracks. This is in marked contrast with the monotonic bending test of notched specimen, in which the crack propagates in the c -axis direction with small amount of deflection.

Sealed cracks (mineral veins) in high‐pressure metamorphic rock provide information on fluid flow within the subduction zone. In this study, we investigate the occurrence, mineralogy and textures of calcite‐bearing veins from the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, in the Nagatoro area, Kanto mountains, Japan. The population of calcite‐bearing veins and the modal abundance of calcite within the veins indicate that calcite was preferentially precipitated within cracks within basic shcists rather than pelitic schists. Around the calcite‐bearing veins, there are selvage zones of chlorite replacing actinolite+epidote layers within the host basic rocks. Such texture and the mass balance relationship suggest that calcite‐bearing veins formed by the interaction between external CO2 fluids and Ca2+ dissolved from the host rock minerals such as epidote and actinolite.

The plain long-nosed squirrels, genus Dremomys, are high elevation species in East and Southeast Asia. Here we present a complete molecular phylogeny for the genus based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Concatenated mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees were constructed to determine the tree topology, and date the tree. All speciation events within the plain-long nosed squirrels (genus Dremomys) were ancient (dated to the Pliocene or Miocene), and averaged older than many speciation events in the related Sunda squirrels, genus Sundasciurus. Within the plain long-nosed squirrels, the most recent interspecific split occurred 2.9 million years ago, older than some splits within Sunda squirrels, which dated to the Pleistocene. Our results demonstrate that the plain long-nosed squirrels are not monophyletic. The single species with a distinct distribution, the Bornean mountain ground squirrel (Dremomys everetti), which is endemic to the high mountains of Borneo, is nested within the Sunda squirrels with high support. This species diverged from its sister taxa in the Sunda squirrels 6.62 million years ago, and other plain long-nosed squirrels over 11 million years ago. Our analyses of morphological traits in these related genera support the re-classification of the Bornean mountain ground squirrel, Dremomys everetti, to the genus Sundasciurus, which changes its name to Sundasciurus everetti. Past inclusion in the plain long-nosed squirrels (Dremomys) reflects convergent evolution between these high elevation species., Funding was provided by the Spanish Government (CGL2010-21524).

High-quality ( 1 1 2 ¯ 0 ) GaN layers with atomically flat surface have been grown on a precisely offset-angle-controlled ( 1 1 ¯ 0 2 ) sapphire substrate by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Insertion of AlGaN layer between underlying AlN layer and GaN was found to improve crystalline quality of upper GaN layer. In addition, a combination of high growth condition followed and epitaxial lateral overgrowth has been employed for the growth of GaN and this helped in reducing the dislocation density in the resultant layers. GaN and AlN were grown on ( 3 0 3 ¯ 8 ) SiC substrates by MOVPE and sublimation methods, respectively. The crystal orientation of GaN and AlN could be just aligned to that of the substrate. Microstructure analysis of the layers was also carried out by transmission electron microscopy.

We evaluated the effectiveness of intentional hypercapnia against hypotension after induction of anaesthesia with thiopental and isoflurane (TI) or propofol (P). For each group, 24 patients were anaesthetized with thiopental 4 mg kg(-1) (TI) or propofol 2 mg kg(-1) (P) for tracheal intubation and then lightly anaesthetized with isoflurane at 0.6% end-expiratory concentration (TI) or by 6 mg kg(-1) h(-1) infusion of propofol (P). In both anaesthesia groups, patients were randomly assigned to either normocapnia (end-tidal CO(2) = 35 mmHg) or hypercapnia (end-tidal CO(2) = 45 mmHg), which were achieved through adjusting the tidal volume. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP) 15 min after intubation was compared with the preanaesthetic baseline value. Under normocapnia, both TI and P induced a comparable, statistically significant suppression of SAP by approximately 20 mmHg from baseline. Hypercapnia prevented the decrease in SAP in TI but not in P. No patient in the TI-hypercapnia group experienced SAP below 100 mmHg, unlike those in the other groups. In conclusion, mild hypercapnia was effective in the prevention of hypotension in patients receiving thiopental followed by 0.6% end-expiratory isoflurane, but not in patients receiving 6 mg kg(-1) h(-1) propofol.

We measured changes in plasma ghrelin and GH concentrations in mature Holstein cows and 3-mo-old female Holstein calves fed at scheduled times. Our objective was to determine the characteristics of ghrelin secretion in dairy cattle and its influence on GH. Animals were fed at 0800 and 1600 for 2 wk before and during experiments. Plasma was sampled for 24 h at 2-h intervals in Exp. 1. In mature cows, plasma ghrelin concentrations decreased (P < 0.01) just after 0800 but not at the 1600 feeding. Ghrelin concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) in calves than in mature cows and they did not decrease after feeding in calves. The temporal relationship between ghrelin and GH remained unclear. In Exp. 2, plasma was sampled 2 h before and after both morning and evening feedings at 20-min intervals. Plasma ghrelin concentrations decreased (P < 0.05) 40 min after 0800 feeding and 60 min after 1600 feeding in mature cows. These results indicate that in mature cows, plasma ghrelin concentration decreased after feeding, but this decrease was not evident in 3-mo-old calves. Further studies are required to define the relationship between plasma ghrelin and GH concentrations.

We examined the association between green tea consumption and mortality due to all causes, cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, injuries, and other causes of death in a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan.We studied 90,914 Japanese (aged between 40 and 69 years) recruited between 1990 and 1994. After 18.7 years of follow-up, 12,874 deaths were reported. The association between green tea consumption and risk of all causes and major causes of mortality was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model with adjustment for potential confounders.Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality among men who consumed green tea compared with those who drank less than 1 cup/day were 0.96 (0.89-1.03) for 1-2 cups/day, 0.88 (0.82-0.95) for 3-4 cups/day, and 0.87 (0.81-0.94) for more than 5 cups/day (P for trend.001). Corresponding hazard ratios for women were 0.90 (0.81-1.00), 0.87 (0.79-0.96), and 0.83 (0.75-0.91; P for trend.001). Green tea was inversely associated with mortality from heart disease in both men and women and mortality from cerebrovascular disease and respiratory disease in men. No association was found between green tea and total cancer mortality.This prospective study suggests that the consumption of green tea may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and the three leading causes of death in Japan.

In surface nitriding by plasma, a major concern is to enhance the density of reactive species of nitrogen. One method is to mix a gas with an ionization potential lower than that of nitrogen. The hydrogen gas mixing was carried out in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) nitrogen plasma. Relative density of molecular ion in the vicinity of a substrate was measured by an optical emission spectroscopy. Under a fixed discharge pressure, the densities of nitrogen molecular ion (N2+) and excited molecular nitrogen (N2∗) were observed: they have a maximum, when a ratio of hydrogen pressure to nitrogen pressure was 0.5. Silicon nitriding was also conducted by using the nitrogen–hydrogen mixed plasma. In the case of maximum densities of reactive species, silicon nitriding was most effective.

Background. In recent years, aromatase inhibitors have been used to treat hormone-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists inhibit the growth of breast cancers by estrogen deprivation, it is not known whether GnRH agonists have a direct effect on breast cancer cells. In the present study, we examined the direct effect of a GnRH agonist (leuprorelin acetate) on aromatase activity in a human breast cancer cell line, SK-BR-3. We also studied the synergistic effect of fadrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) and leuprorelin acetate on aromatase activity and cell proliferation in SK-BR-3 cells. Methods. Aromatase activity was determined by measuring [3H] water released upon the conversion of [1β-3H] androstenedione to estrone. Cell proliferation was estimated by determining the incorporation of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine in cellular DNA (cell proliferation assay system). Results. Aromatase activity in SK-BR-3 was inhibited by fadrozole. In addition, SK-BR-3 aromatase activity was inhibited by leuprorelin acetate. Stimulation of cell proliferation by estradiol (10 nM) and testosterone (20 nM) was almost completely inhibited by the addition of an estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182780 (10 nM), and fadrozole (1 nM). When both these compounds were added, the most potent inhibition of aromatase activity (fadrozole, 0.1 nM; leuprorelin acetate, 1 nM) and cell proliferation (fadrozole, 10 nM; leuprorelin acetate, 100 nM) was observed. Conclusions. These results lead us to the conclusion that combination therapy with an aromatase inhibitor and a GnRH agonist may provide a new treatment for both pre- and postmenopausal patients with hormone-dependent breast cancer.

We have carried out the design studies of KOYO-Fast laser fusion power plant, using fast ignition cone targets, DPSSL lasers, and LiPb liquid wall chambers. Using fast ignition targets, we could design a middle sized 300 MWe reactor module, with 200 MJ fusion pulse energy and 4 Hz rep-rates, and 1200MWe modular power plants with 4 reactor modules and a 16 Hz laser driver. The liquid wall chambers with free surface cascade flows are proposed for cooling surface quickly enough to a 4 Hz pulse operation. We examined the potential ofYb-YAG ceramic lasers operated at 150 ∼ 225 K for both implosion and heating laser systems required for a 16-Hz repetition and 8 % total efficiency.

Mitochondrial biogenesis was studied during differentiation of two immortalized cell lines (C2C12, 3T3) with enzyme measurements, Northern blots, and quantitative ultrastructure. Citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (nuclear encoded, mitochondrial matrix location) showed linear, four- to sixfold increases in enzymatic activity in C2C12 cells but increased exponentially in 3T3 cells. Cytochrome oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase (nuclear and mitochondrial encoded, cristae location) increased to a lesser extent and with a pattern dissimilar to the first group. Northern blots and activity of succinate dehydrogenase (cristae location but entirely nuclear encoded) suggested the groupings were based on location of the genes rather than the mature enzyme. However, quantitative electron microscopy and comparisons with adult tissue suggested that mitochondrial ultrastructure can influence the change in cristae enzymes. Cristae surface area per unit mitochondrial volume and per unit cell volume increased much less than did cristae enzymes. Available space on the inner membrane may become limiting and account for some aspects of the pattern of change in electron transport enzymes during differentiation.

We present the first comprehensive taxonomic revision and review the biology of the olingos, the endemic Neotropical procyonid genus Bassaricyon, based on most specimens available in museums, and with data derived from anatomy, morphometrics, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, field observations, and geographic range modeling. Species of Bassaricyon are primarily forest-living, arboreal, nocturnal, frugivorous, and solitary, and have one young at a time. We demonstrate that four olingo species can be recognized, including a Central American species (B. gabbii), lowland species with eastern, cis-Andean (B. alleni) and western, trans-Andean (B. medius) distributions, and a species endemic to cloud forests in the Andes. The oldest evolutionary divergence in the genus is between this last species, endemic to the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador, and all other species, which occur in lower elevation habitats. Surprisingly, this Andean endemic species, which we call the Olinguito, has never been previously described; it represents a new species in the order Carnivora and is the smallest living member of the family Procyonidae. We report on the biology of this new species based on information from museum specimens, niche modeling, and fieldwork in western Ecuador, and describe four Olinguito subspecies based on morphological distinctions across different regions of the Northern Andes.