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Carnitine deficiency and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) exacerbate liver steatosis. Given the current lack of ideal murine nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) models, we investigated new NASH models using jvs/+ mice with low carnitine and wild-type mice with low-dose alloxan-induced IGT. The jvs/+ and wild-type mice were divided into jvs/+ mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) from 3 weeks of age (HF hetero group), wild-type mice with low-dose alloxan treatment fed HFD (AL + HF wild group), wild-type mice fed HFD (HF wild group), and two types of mice fed a normal diet-jvs/+ and wild-type (intact group). All mice were sacrificed at 20 or 40 weeks of age. All male HFD-fed mice showed obesity, IGT, high blood insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), high liver enzyme levels, and high cholesterol levels. The degree of IGT was the worst in the AL + HF wild group, and blood insulin levels and HOMA-IR score were remarkably increased from 20 to 40 weeks of age. Almost all HFD-fed mice showed steatosis, fibrosis, and lobular inflammation in the centrilobular zone. These changes were accompanied by hepatocyte ballooning and were enhanced at 40 weeks of age. Furthermore, the incidence rate of nodular hyperplasia and adenoma in both the HF hetero and AL + HF wild groups was nearly 30%. We successfully established two novel murine models of NASH using male jvs/+ mice with low carnitine and male wild-type mice with IGT that eventually developed obesity, fatty liver, insulin resistance, liver fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. These results suggest that low carnitine levels and early-stage induction of IGT are important factors in the progression of NASH to tumorigenesis, similar to human NASH.

Summary A two-year-old male African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) presented with lethargy and anorexia. Ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations revealed splenomegaly and pneumonia, respectively. Prominent leucocytosis, consisting mainly of large atypical eosinophils, was observed in a peripheral blood smear. Necropsy revealed a black scab on the left hindlimb, which was swollen, an enlarged left inguinal lymph node, firm oedematous lungs, splenomegaly and multiple nodules in the lung, spleen and liver. Histopathologically, infiltration of numerous eosinophils was seen in lung, spleen, liver, kidney, lymph node and adrenal medulla tissues. Necrotizing granulomatous lesions, with intralesional acid-fast bacilli, were found in the lung, spleen, liver, left inguinal lymph node and left hindlimb. Mycobacterium marinum was identified by broad-range polymerase chain reaction targeting of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of systemic M. marinum infection in any mammalian species.

Sorghum is important as a cereal crop, and also as livestock feed and a renewable energy crop because it produces a large amount of biomass. In grass plants like sorghum, hydroxycinnamates such as ferulic acids (FA) and p-coumaric acids (pCA) are characteristically ester-linked to the cell wall, and are believed to affect cell wall digestibility. Genetic manipulation of the esterification of FA and pCA to the cell wall appears to be one of the solutions to increase the digestibility of the cell wall so as to utilize sorghum biomass effectively. In this study, we measured esterified FA and pCA in each stage of internode elongation and determined the accumulation pattern of each hydroxycinnamate. The results revealed that FA were mainly accumulated during the cell elongation stage, and that pCA accumulation was increased after the cell elongation stage. Furthermore, 6 of the 12 sorghum BAHD acyltransferase genes were significantly expressed in the elongating internodes, suggesting that these genes might be involved in the feruloylation and/or p-coumaroylation of the cell wall in sorghum internodes.

The diverse treatments available for portal hypertension require specialized knowledge of hemodynamics and include endoscopic treatments, interventional radiology (IVR), and surgery. The Japan Society for Portal Hypertension has developed the skill qualification system (SQS) for portal hypertension and began examination in 2014. Here, the status and validity of the judgment of the SQS examination were evaluated.From 2014 to 2020, 79 applicants were evaluated by the SQS for portal hypertension. Each unedited video submitted as a candidate procedure was evaluated by two judges, and a grade of greater than 70% for the scoring items assessed by the judges was required to pass the examination. Inter-rater agreement of success/failure between the two judges was investigated by the ACThe results of two judges differed for 11 of the 79 videos (13.9%), and five applicants (6.3%) ultimately failed the examination. The percentages of total points received by the applicants with endoscopic treatments, IVR, and surgery were 87.3%, 79.4%, and 80.8%, respectively. There were significant differences in the percentages between endoscopic treatments and IVR (The SQS for portal hypertension of the Japan Society for Portal Hypertension showed high reliability for video assessments by the judges. This system may contribute to the spread and further development of safe and effective treatments for portal hypertension in Japan.

The Nagoya Daruma pond frog (Pelophylax porosus brevipodus) is an endangered anuran species endemic to the semi-aquatic environment of Japan. On June 11, 2021, four of the six Nagoya Daruma pond frogs captured from the wild and kept in an aquarium died in rapid succession. Pathological and/or parasitological examinations of two of the four carcasses revealed protozoan infection in their kidneys. The pathogen identified as Hyaloklossia kasumiensis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae: Hyaloklossiinae) based on their morphological and molecular characterization. This is a new host record of H. kasumiensis. Mitochondrial cox1 sequence analysis suggest that the present species detected from Nagoya Daruma pond frog belongs to the same lineage as those found in the Tokyo Daruma pond frog (P. p. porosus) from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. This particular lineage may be prevalent among Pelophylax porosus ssp. distributed in Japan.

Understanding the crystallization mechanism of amorphous metal-oxide thin films remains of importance to avoid the deterioration of multifunctional flexible electronics. We derived the crystallization mechanism of indium-based functional amorphous oxide films by using in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. Crystallization begins with surface nucleation, especially at low annealing temperatures, and proceeds simultaneous nucleation and growth in the bulk. Three-dimensional crystal growth in the film was observed when the crystallite size was sufficiently smaller than the film thickness. When the growing crystallites reached the film surface, the crystallization was dominated by two- or lower-dimensional growth. Such crystallization can be explained within the framework of the modified Avrami theory and can be varied for tailoring the electrical properties of the amorphous In2O3 film. After tailoring the film crystallinity and crystallite size, the carrier mobility was improved to >100 cm2/V·s in 30 min. Our results show that a carrier mobility of >90 cm2/V·s can be implemented for the In2O3 film with a crystallinity of >40% and a crystallite size of >70 nm by an optimized annealing process. The incorporation of Ga element into amorphous In2O3 films obviously increases the activation energy of nucleation and migration. In contrast, Sn dopants can promote the crystal growth. This is attributed to two kinds of migration mechanisms during the annealing in air, one of which is the dominant migration mechanism of oxygen interstitials in crystallized indium-tin oxide (ITO) films and the other dominated by oxygen vacancies in In2O3 and IGO films. Combining the modified Avrami theory with TEM observations, we predicted the structural evolution kinetics for indium-based amorphous oxide films and gained new insights for understanding the temporal structure-functionality relationship during crystallization.

The Arabidopsis oligopeptide transporter AtOPT6 is membrane transport protein that mediated transport of glutathione in both the reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms. In this study, the role of AtOPT6 in glutathione distribution throughout the plant was investigated. We found that transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AtOPT6 under the control of a phloem-specific promoter of sucrose-proton symporter 2 (pSUC2), remarkably increased AtOPT6 transcript levels, ranging from 30- to 40-fold in shoots and 6- to 10-fold in roots, relative to the wild type. AtOPT6-overexpressing lines could elevate the foliar glutathione content; however, glutathione content in the phloem did not change. We observed that the ratio of shoot glutathione content to total glutathione content increased in AtOPT6-overexpressing lines, but not in transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis. These results indicate the possibility that loading and unloading of glutathione in phloem tissues are enhanced in AtOPT6-overexpressing lines under the control of pSUC2. The results of heavy metal analysis revealed that transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AtOPT6 under the control of pSUC2 could promote the transport of Zn into shoots as effectively as transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis, or wild-type plants with exogenous foliar application of GSH.

Herein, we describe the case of a 6-year-old female ferret that died within a few days of the onset of anorexia and reduced spontaneous locomotor activity. Necropsy revealed a dark red abdominal mass of unknown origin between the right lobes of the pancreas and the proximal jejunum, with massive blood retention in the peritoneal cavity. Histopathologically, spindle-shaped or sometimes polygonal tumor cells were proliferating with irregularly shaped vascular spaces containing blood components and surrounding-tissue infiltration. In some areas, tumor cells formed distinctly dilated blood vessel-like structures. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumor cells were strongly positive for CD31, but factor VIII-related antigen immunoreactivity was confined to the area with dilated blood vessel-like structures. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as an abdominal hemangiosarcoma. Abdominal hemangiosarcoma excluding cases of the liver and spleen are rare in ferrets.

Glutathione (GSH) is a vital compound involved in several plant metabolic pathways. Our previous study indicated that foliar GSH application can increase zinc (Zn) levels in leafy vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine the mode of action of GSH as it relates to Zn transport from roots to shoots. Two types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants with genes for GSH synthesis, including StGCS-GS or AtGSH1 driven by the leaf-specific promoter of chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (pCab3) gene were generated. Both types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed significant increases in shoot GSH concentrations compared to the wild type (WT). Monitoring 65Zn movement by positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) analysis indicated that the 65Zn amount in the shoots of both types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants were higher than that in the WT. GSH concentration in phloem sap was increased significantly in WT with foliar applications of 10 mM GSH (WT-GSH), but not in transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis. Both types of transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis and WT-GSH exhibited increased shoot Zn concentrations and Zn translocation ratios. These results suggest that enhancement of endogenous foliar GSH synthesis and exogenous foliar GSH application affect root-to-shoot transport of Zn.

We have developed a single-direction melt growth method in which REBCO melt-textured bulks grow only vertically from a seed plate utilizing the difference in peritectic temperatures of REBCO. Entirely c-grown YBCO, DyBCO and GdBCO bulks with various sizes and shapes were successfully fabricated with high reproducibility. Disk-shaped bulks showed high trapped fields with almost concentric field distributions, reflecting homogeneous and boundaryless bulky crystal. In particular, a YBCO bulk with a 32 mm diameter trapped a high field more than 1 T at 77 K. Furthermore, rectangular and joined hexagonal REBCO bulks were successfully fabricated, showing designed field-trapping distributions reflecting their shapes through well-connected superconducting joints among bulks., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Glutathione (GSH) is a vital compound involved in several plant metabolic pathways. Our previous study indicated that foliar GSH application can increase zinc (Zn) levels in leafy vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine the mode of action of GSH as it relates to Zn transport from roots to shoots. Two types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants with genes for GSH synthesis, including StGCS-GS or AtGSH1 driven by the leaf-specific promoter of chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (pCab3) gene were generated. Both types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed significant increases in shoot GSH concentrations compared to the wild type (WT). Monitoring 65Zn movement by positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) analysis indicated that the 65Zn amount in the shoots of both types of transgenic Arabidopsis plants were higher than that in the WT. GSH concentration in phloem sap was increased significantly in WT with foliar applications of 10 mM GSH (WT-GSH), but not in transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis. Both types of transgenic Arabidopsis with elevated foliar GSH synthesis and WT-GSH exhibited increased shoot Zn concentrations and Zn translocation ratios. These results suggest that enhancement of endogenous foliar GSH synthesis and exogenous foliar GSH application affect root-to-shoot transport of Zn.

An adult female sika deer (Cervus nippon aplodontus) inhabiting Nara Park, Nara, Japan, had broken bone injuries from a car accident. During its treatment, we found that the sika deer had severe anemia and the fracture remained unhealed throughout. Peripheral blood smear revealed piroplasms in the erythrocytes, which were identified as merozoites of undescribed Theileria species, widely found in sika deer in Japan. This is the report of a clinical case of Theileria infection, accompanied by severe anemia in a sika deer.

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide involved in controlling heavy metal movement in plants. Our previous study showed that GSH, when site-specifically applied to plant roots, inhibits Cd translocation from the roots to shoots in hydroponically cultured oilseed rape (Brassica napus) plants. A factor that led to this inhibitory effect was the activation of Cd efflux from root cells. To further investigate the molecular mechanism triggered by root-applied GSH, Cd movement was non-invasively monitored using a positron-emitting tracer imaging system. The Cd absorption and efflux process in the roots were visualized successfully. The effects of GSH on Cd efflux from root cells were estimated by analyzing imaging data. Reanalysis of image data suggested that GSH applied to roots, at the shoot base, activated Cd return. Cutting the shoot base significantly inhibited Cd efflux from root cells. These experimental results demonstrate that the shoot base plays an important role in distributing Cd throughout the plant body. Furthermore, microarray analysis revealed that about 400 genes in the roots responded to root-applied GSH. Among these, there were genes for transporter proteins related to heavy metal movement in plants and proteins involved in the structure modification of cell walls.

Abstract To understand rice types that were utilized during postdomestication and in the modern age and the potential of genetic research in aged rice materials, archaeogenetic analysis was conducted for two populations of archaic rice grains from the Mojiaoshan site during the Liangzhu Period in China (2940 to 2840 BC). Sequencing after the PCR amplification of three regions of the chloroplast genome and one region of the nuclear genome showed recovery rates that were comparable to those in previous studies except for one chloroplast genome region, suggesting that the materials used in this work were appropriate for recovering genetic information related to domestication traits by using advanced technology. Classification after sequencing in these regions proved the existence of Japonica and Indica chloroplasts in archaic grains from the west trench, which were subsequently classified into eight plastid groups (type I–VIII), and indicated that these rice grains derived from different maternal lineages were stored together in storage houses at the Mojiaohsan site. Among these plastid groups, type V exhibited the same sequences as two modern Indica accessions that are utilized in basic studies and rice breeding. It was inferred that part of the chloroplast genome of archaic rice has been preserved in modern genetic resources in these two modern Indica accessions, and the results indicated that rice related to their maternal ancestor was present at the Mojiaoshan site during the Liangzhu Period in China. The usefulness of archaeogenetic analysis can be demonstrated by our research data as well as previous studies, providing encouragement for the possibility that archaeogenetic analysis can be applied to older rice materials that were utilized in the rice-domesticated period. Graphical abstract

Background Periodontopathic bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis produce several metabolites, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and n-butyric acid (BA). Past work suggested that periodontal infection may cause cognitive impairment in mice. Aims To elucidate the mechanisms by which metabolites such as LPS and BA, resulting from Porphyromonas gingivalis activity, induce immunological and physiological abnormalities in mice. Methods In the present work, 28 male ICR mice were placed in an open-field arena and the total distance (cm/600 s) they covered was recorded. Based on their moving distances, mice were divided into 4 groups (n = 7) and injected the following substances into their gingival tissues for 32 consecutive days: saline (C), 5 mmol/L of BA (B), 1 μg/mouse of LPS (L), and BA-LPS (BL) solutions. Distances covered by mice were also measured on days 14 and 21, with their habituation scores considered as “(moving distance on day 14 or 21)/(moving distance on day 0)”. Afterwards, mice were dissected, and hippocampal gene expression and the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, neurotransmitters and cytokines in their blood plasma and brains were analyzed. In addition, mouse brain and liver tissues were fixed and visually assessed for histopathological abnormalities. Results Group BL had significantly higher habituation scores than C and B on day 14. LPS induced higher habituation scores on day 21. LPS induced significant decreases in the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and brain-derived neurotrophic factors, and an increase in neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 2. In both plasma and brain, LPS induced a significant acetate increase. Moreover, LPS significantly increased acetylcholine in brain. In plasma alone, LPS and BA significantly decreased monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). However, while LPS significantly decreased tyrosine, BA significantly increased it. Lastly, LPS significantly decreased IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor in plasma. No histopathological abnormalities were detected in liver or brain tissues of mice. Conclusion We showed that injections of LPS and/or BA induced mice to move seemingly tireless and that both LPS and BA injections strongly induced a reduction of MCP-1 in blood plasma. We concluded that LPS and BA may have been crucial to induce and/or aggravate abnormal behavior in mice.

Sorghum is important as a cereal crop, and also as livestock feed and a renewable energy crop because it produces a large amount of biomass. In grass plants like sorghum, hydroxycinnamates such as ferulic acids (FA) and p-coumaric acids (pCA) are characteristically ester-linked to the cell wall, and are believed to affect cell wall digestibility. Genetic manipulation of the esterification of FA and pCA to the cell wall appears to be one of the solutions to increase the digestibility of the cell wall so as to utilize sorghum biomass effectively. In this study, we measured esterified FA and pCA in each stage of internode elongation and determined the accumulation pattern of each hydroxycinnamate. The results revealed that FA were mainly accumulated during the cell elongation stage, and that pCA accumulation was increased after the cell elongation stage. Furthermore, 6 of the 12 sorghum BAHD acyltransferase genes were significantly expressed in the elongating internodes, suggesting that these genes might be involved in the feruloylation and/or p-coumaroylation of the cell wall in sorghum internodes.

A rice COBRA-like gene, BRITTLE CULM1 (BC1) has been shown to be involved in assembling cell wall components and cellulose crystallinity, which determines mechanical strength in above ground organs. However, the detailed roles of BC1 in rice development are poorly understood. In this study, we found that, unlike the known brittle culm mutants, the internode length of the bc1 mutant was ~1.27 times longer than that of wild type in rice. In order to analyze the effects of bc1 mutation on internode development, we compared the deposition of cell wall components among each developmental stage of the elongating second internodes from wild type, Kinmaze, and the bc1 mutant. In wild type, histochemical observations of lignin revealed that lignin deposition was gradually increased after the cell elongation stage of the internodes. Cellulose and p-coumaric acid (pCA) content also gradually increased along with the progress of the developmental stage. The ferulic acid (FA) content rapidly increased in the cell elongation stage and decreased at the late secondary cell wall formation stage. In the bc1 mutant, the contents of cell wall components were lower than those of wild type from the cell elongation stage, in which the BC1 started to express at this stage in wild type. In the bc1 mutant, the deposition patterns of cell wall components, especially phenolic components including lignin, pCA, and FA, were delayed compared with those of wild type. These results suggest that the BC1 gene plays a role in synthesizing appropriate cell walls at each stage in the developing internode.

The use of zinc nitride (Zn3N2) films as a transparent electrode in various electronic devices has attracted much attention owing to its high-carrier mobility. In this study, we investigate the influence of the sputtering process on structural, optical, and electrical properties of a Zn3N2 film deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The reactivity of nitrogen species can be improved by changing the type of sputtering gas. Compared with Ar or Ne sputtering gas, polycrystalline Zn3N2 films deposited using He sputtering gas have a larger grain size. The optical band gap of the Zn3N2 films varied from ~1.2 to 1.5 eV depending on the N2 flow ratio and type of sputtering gas. The maximum mobility was 91.1 cm2/Vs when the Zn3N2 film was deposited using Ar sputtering gas with an N2 flow ratio of 40%. The carrier density of Zn3N2 films deposited using Ar sputtering gas was notably higher than those deposited using Ne or He sputtering gas, and more oxygen atoms are considered to substitute into nitrogen sites, where oxygen is considered to be from the residual water vapor in the sputtering chamber.

The conduction type in (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on InP substrates was found to be controllable from p-type to n-type as a function of Mn content. n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films were obtained by Mn doping of more than approximately 11 cat.%. It is likely that Mn interstitials (MnI) incorporated by excess Mn doping are located at tetrahedral hollow spaces surrounded by Zn and Sn cation atoms and four As atoms, which are expected to act as donors in (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2, resulting in n-type conduction. The effect of annealing on the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films was investigated as functions of annealing temperature and time. It was revealed that even if the annealing temperature is considerably higher than the growth temperature of 320 °C, the magnetic properties of the thin films remain stable. This suggests that a MnI complex surrounded by Zn and Sn atoms is thermally stable during high-temperature annealing. The n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films may be suitable for application as n-type spin-polarized injectors.

It is well known that dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) stimulate cell-mediated immunity such as natural killer (NK) activity in mice. Here, we aimed to assay the immunomodulatory effects of a cell preparation of Enterococcus faecalis strain KH-2 (CPEF). We further evaluated the possibility of antitumour activity caused by CPEF administration, because NK cells actively participate in the prevention of tumour formation. NK cell activity and gene expression of IFN-γ and Perforin 1, which were induced most likely by a synergetic action of their cytotoxic activity, were higher in splenocytes of CPEF-administered mice than they were in control mice. Moreover, unlike those of control mice, the splenocytes of CPEF-administered mice had significantly higher CD28+CD69+/CD4+ and CD28+CD69+/CD8+ ratios that resulted in a survival rate with a tendency toward improvement after 47 days of CPEF administration (p=0.1) in Meth-A fibrosarcoma-bearing mice. In conclusion, we showed that CPEF might be effective in treating Meth-A fibrosarcoma in mice, as it helped increase their survival rate via stimulation of an immune response in splenocytes, which involved systemic cellular immunity processes such as cytotoxic activity, and active T cells.

Based on the development of a direct DNA extraction method from soil, an estimation of soil microbial biomass by measurement of extracted soil DNA is presented. Chloroform-labile carbon (CLC) and nitrogen (CLN) determined by chloroform fumigation methods have been the major parameters of soil microbial biomass, but to date, there have been few studies of the relationship between DNA and CLN among soils with different characteristics. We applied DNA assays to the estimation of soil microbial biomass in various types of soil in Japan. The quantitative relationships among DNA, CLC and CLN released by the chloroform fumigation–extraction method were examined in 35 soil samples including five different soil types. The amount of DNA was moderately correlated with CLC (r = 0.652, n = 35), but there was no significant correlation in one of the soil types (fluvisol) representing a typical soil in Japan (r = 0.124; n = 15). Moreover, there was a strong correlation between DNA and CLN (r = 0.887; n = 35), and the correlation was high in every major soil type. These findings raise the possibility that DNA could be used to estimate biomass N even among different kinds of soil, with a conversion factor of 2.75 for DNA (μg g−1 soil).

Remote sensing has been supporting archaeology since the early 20th century. Recent high-resolution satellites have enabled the detailed observation and mapping over wide areas enhancing the importance of remote sensing techniques. Besides its severe geometric skewness, CORONA satellite image, the reconnaissance satellite of United States operated during the 1960 to 1972, has provided a wealth of historical information. From CORONA satellite images, archaeologists can begin to understand the original landscape of sites worldwide that have undergone rapid urban expansion. However, most previous archaeological studies of CORONA satellite images have focused on homogeneously textured arid condition with little vegetation. The present study maps and analyzes the Liangzhu sites group near Shanghai, China, which occupies a low wet environment in the temperate climatic zone. The CORONA satellite images were orthorectified by the Structure from Motion technique and subjected to digital surface model (DSM). The accuracy of the orthorectified image was confirmed by evaluating the root means square error. However, the extracted DSM suffered from speckled noise and the so-called bowl effect distortion. > 80% of the known sites were successfully detected through stereoscopic interpretation and additional unknown features were metrically mapped. The parallel dike-like features of the Tangshan complex were reconstructed and their likely function suggested.

Indium-tin-zinc oxide (ITZO) films were deposited at various nitrogen flow ratios using magnetron sputtering. At a nitrogen flow ratio of 40%, the structure of ITZO film changed from amorphous, with a short-range-ordered In2O3 phase, to a c-axis oriented InN polycrystalline phase, where InN starts to nucleate from an amorphous In2O3 matrix. Whereas, nitrogen addition had no obvious effect on the structure of indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) films even at a nitrogen flow ratio of 100%. Nitrogen addition also suppressed the formation of oxygen-related vacancies in ITZO films when the nitrogen flow ratio was less than 20%, and higher nitrogen addition led to an increase in carrier density. Moreover, a red-shift in the optical band edge was observed as the nitrogen flow ratio increased, which could be attributed to the generation of InN crystallites. We anticipate that the present findings demonstrating nitrogen-addition induced structural changes can help to understand the environment-dependent instability in amorphous IGZO or ITZO based thin-film transistors (TFTs).

The structural, magnetic, and electrical properties of InMnAs thin films were investigated to elucidate their ferromagnetism for potential applications in InP-based spintronics and magneto-optical integrated circuits. The films were prepared on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy at growth temperatures of 220–280 °C without further annealing. Except for the 220 °C-grown sample, the films showed ferromagnetism at room temperature. We found that the room-temperature ferromagnetism was predominantly caused by the existence of hexagonal MnAs clusters embedded in a homogeneous InMnAs matrix (InMnAs:MnAs system). High-resolution transmission electron microscope images revealed that the MnAs nanoclusters formed either elongated or round structures in the InMnAs host matrix. The experimental results indicate that the mixed systems of hexagonal MnAs embedded in InMnAs may provide potential ferromagnetic building blocks for InP-based spintronics.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Y. ptb) is a zoonotic pathogenic bacterial species of the family Enterobacteriaceae and causes yersiniosis, an acute intestinal infection in humans and animals. Y. ptb is often implicated in lethal epidemics in zoo animals and reductions in the breeding population, but a valid prevention method has not been established. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a vaccine for yersiniosis control. The immunogenicity of one of the adhesion factors involved in pathogenic mechanisms of Y. ptb, Yersinia adhesin A (YadA), was investigated. BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups: in group 1, mice received insoluble recombinant YadA (rYadA) produced in genetically engineered Escherichia coli (100 µg/dose); in group 2, mice received inactivated Y. ptb with strong expression of YadA (20 mg/dose);and in group 3, mice received phosphate-buffered saline (0.2 ml/dose). All interventions were administered subcutaneously twice at an interval of 1 week. One week after the second administration, Y. ptb (107 cells/mouse) was inoculated orally. As a result, the survival rate was 100% in group 1, 60% in group 2, and 0% in group 3. The anti-YadA antibody titer increased in a stepwise fashion in groups 1 and 2. The present study results suggest that rYadA shows promise as a protective antigen against yersiniosis. This study concluded that vaccination against Y. ptb may become available as a new method to prevent lethal epidemics in animals.

Previously we have shown that site-specific application of glutathione (GSH) to roots inhibits cadmium (Cd) translocation from roots to shoots. In this study, we investigated the effects of chemical compounds containing sulfur, such as dithiothreitol (DTT), potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and a GSH synthesis inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), on the behavior of Cd in oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus L.). We found that DTT, just like GSH, also inhibited Cd translocation from roots to shoots significantly. However, the inhibitory effects of Cd behaviors differed between GSH and DTT. Cd efflux from root cells was activated by GSH and inactivated by DTT. Positron imaging experiments revealed that there are minor differences in the effects of GSH and DTT on Cd adsorption to the surface of roots. These results provide insights into the function of GSH involved in the inhibitory effects of Cd translocation from roots to shoots.

A lattice-matched InGaAs and InAlAs superlattice (SL) was used to embed InAs quantum dots (QDs) on an InP(311)B substrate; this is called the digital embedding method (DEM). We controlled the emission wavelength of the InAs QDs by changing the period of the SL or the ratio of the thickness of InGaAs to that of InAlAs. In addition, we investigated the time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) of the InAs QDs using the DEM. The decay time of the PL from the QDs was estimated by fitting a single exponential curve and was 380 ps in the DEM sample and 700 ps in the reference sample with a conventional InGaAlAs barrier. The decay time was clearly altered by changing the embedding structure. Therefore, carrier dynamics could be controlled using the DEM.

Structural evolution of transparent conductive In2O3-ZnO (IZO) films with increasing substrate temperature during sputtering was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Increasing the substrate temperature can induce film crystallization in the initial growth stage, and enhance the crystallization of IZO films. Extensive simulations using ellipsometry data demonstrated a decrease in the crystallization rate for IZO films deposited between 200 and 300 °C, which is attributed to the influence of the interference between nearby growing grains. TEM observations also reveal that the growth competition between different crystallites leads to an increase in the lateral grain size with increasing substrate temperature.

A rice COBRA-like gene, BRITTLE CULM1 (BC1) has been shown to be involved in assembling cell wall components and cellulose crystallinity, which determines mechanical strength in above ground organs...

Since REBCO melt-textured bulks are produced in an extremely carrier underdoped state after melt-growth, oxygen-annealing is required for a few hundred hours to control the oxygen composition throughout the bulks due to their slow oxygen-diffusivity. In this study, we discovered that the oxygen-annealing time can be largely reduced with the introduction of water vapor to the oxygen-annealing process for Ag-added YBCO melt-textured bulks without any degradation of the superconducting properties. It was revealed that highly dense stacking faults were induced to the matrix during this wet oxygen-annealing, which are considered to act as fast diffusion paths of oxygen. The estimated chemical diffusion coefficients of oxygen at 400 °C for the bulk annealed under wet O2 was ~4.3 × 10−11 m2s−1, which is almost twice as high as that annealed under standard dry O2 atmosphere. High Jc without a decrease in Tc was confirmed for the sample annealed under wet O2, when the wet O2 annealing was performed for a moderate time. In addition, a combined oxygen-annealing process, where wet O2 was supplied for the first 24 h followed by a dry O2 process for the remaining period, was found to be more effective to achieve both enhanced oxygen-diffusion and maintain high field trapping properties. These improvements are probably because moderate amounts of defects were introduced to the bulk as a function of the duration of the wet O2 annealing. The introduction of water vapor to the oxygen-annealing process will become a versatile technique to reduce the total processing time of REBCO melt-textured bulks.

Glutathione (GSH) is a thiol-containing compound involved in many aspects of plant metabolism. In the present study, we investigated how enhancing endogenous and exogenous GSH affects cadmium (Cd) movement and distribution in Arabidopsis plants cultured hydroponically. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants with a strong ability to synthesize GSH in roots were generated by transforming the gene encoding the bifunctional γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase-glutathione synthetase enzyme from Streptococcus thermophiles (StGCS-GS). Enhancing endogenous and exogenous GSH decreased the Cd translocation ratio in different ways. Only exogenous GSH significantly inhibited Cd translocation from roots to shoots in wild-type and transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Our study demonstrated that GSH mainly functions outside root cells to inhibit Cd translocation from roots to shoots.

Glutathione is a tripeptide involved in diverse aspects of plant metabolism. We investigated how the reduced form of glutathione, GSH, applied site-specifically to plants, affects zinc (Zn) distribution and behavior in oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus) cultured hydroponically. Foliar-applied GSH significantly increased the Zn content in shoots and the root-to-shoot Zn translocation ratio; furthermore, this treatment raised the Zn concentration in the cytosol of root cells and substantially enhanced Zn xylem loading. Notably, microarray analysis revealed that the gene encoding pectin methylesterase was upregulated in roots following foliar GSH treatment. We conclude that certain physiological signals triggered in response to foliar-applied GSH were transported via sieve tubes and functioned in root cells, which, in turn, increased Zn availability in roots by releasing Zn from their cell wall. Consequently, root-to-shoot translocation of Zn was activated and Zn accumulation in the shoot was markedly increased.

Two meerkats ( Suricata suricatta) housed in the same zoological garden in Japan died due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype 4b infection. Gross and microscopic lesions included necrotizing enteritis and enlargement of the spleen and liver with multifocal necrosis. Inflammatory cells, primarily neutrophils, and nuclear debris were associated with clusters of Gram-negative bacilli. Additionally, there were aberrant organism forms that were larger than bacilli and appeared as basophilic globular bodies. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the bacilli and globular bodies were strongly positive for Y. pseudotuberculosis O4 antigen. The globular bodies were considered a shape-changed form of Y. pseudotuberculosis, and these morphologically abnormal bacteria could present a diagnostic challenge.

Interventional endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been developed mainly for the treatment of pancreaticobiliary disorders (e.g. cyst drainage for pancreatic pseudocysts, biliary drainage for malignant biliary obstruction, and celiac plexus neurolysis). Recently, the application of interventional EUS has been expanded to a new field, the treatment of gastrointestinal varices. There have been several studies examining this new technique for the treatment of esophageal and gastric varices. In the present review, we have summarized the current status of interventional EUS for the treatment of esophageal and gastric varices (e.g. EUS-guided coil deployment for gastric varices) and clarified the clinical feasibility of this procedure.

We studied the epitaxial growth of InAlAs on ZnSnAs2 thin films to establish magnetic heterostructures involving ferromagnetic Mn-doped ZnSnAs2 (ZnSnAs2:Mn) thin films. These heterostructures were successfully grown at temperatures around 300 °C to maintain room-temperature ferromagnetism in ZnSnAs2:Mn. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction measurements and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed that the InAlAs layers were pseudomorphically lattice-matched with ZnSnAs2, even at the low temperature of 300 °C. We attempted to prepare magnetic quantum well structures from the InAlAs/ZnSnAs2:Mn magnetic multilayer structure. We found that InAlAs layers heteroepitaxially grown on ZnSnAs2 and ferromagnetic ZnSnAs2:Mn films are suitable for preparing InP-based magnetic semiconductor quantum structures. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Two captive Keel-billed toucans and a Chestnut-mandibled toucan in another zoological garden died suddenly without any pre-existing symptoms, and three months later, a Japanese squirrel died of diarrhea. All these animals showed necrotic enteritis and multifocal necrosis in the liver and spleen with Gram negative bacilli. The bacilli showed strong positive immunolabeling for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O4 in the Keel-billed toucans, Y. pseudotuberculosis O2 in the Chestnut-mandibled toucan and Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 in the Japanese squirrel, while Y. pseudotuberculosis 4b, 2b and 1b were respectively isolated from the lesions. To our knowledge, this might be the first reported case of fatal yersiniosis in a Japanese squirrel in the world as well as in toucans in Japan.

It is well known that dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) stimulate cell-mediated immunity such as natural killer (NK) activity in mice. Here, we aimed to assay the immunomodulatory effects of a cell preparation of Enterococcus faecalis strain KH-2 (CPEF). We further evaluated the possibility of antitumour activity caused by CPEF administration, because NK cells actively participate in the prevention of tumour formation. NK cell activity and gene expression of IFN-γ and Perforin 1, which were induced most likely by a synergetic action of their cytotoxic activity, were higher in splenocytes of CPEF-administered mice than they were in control mice. Moreover, unlike those of control mice, the splenocytes of CPEF-administered mice had significantly higher CD28+CD69+/CD4+ and CD28+CD69+/CD8+ ratios that resulted in a survival rate with a tendency toward improvement after 47 days of CPEF administration (p=0.1) in Meth-A fibrosarcoma-bearing mice. In conclusion, we showed that CPEF might be effective in treating Meth-A fibrosarcoma in mice, as it helped increase their survival rate via stimulation of an immune response in splenocytes, which involved systemic cellular immunity processes such as cytotoxic activity, and active T cells.

The involvement of the Arabidopsis oligopeptide transporter AtOPT6, which was previously shown to take up glutathione (GSH) when expressed in yeast cells or in Xenopus laevis oocytes, in GSH transport was analyzed using opt6 knockout mutant lines. The concentration of GSH in flowers or siliques was lower in opt6 mutants relative to wild-type plants, suggesting involvement of AtOPT6 in long-distance transport of GSH. The GSH concentration in phloem sap was similar between opt6 mutants and wild-type plants. These results, combined with earlier reports showing expression of AtOPT6 in the vascular bundle, especially in the cambial zone, suggest that AtOPT6 functions to transport GSH into cells surrounding the phloem in sink organs. The opt6 mutant plants showed delayed bolting, implying the importance of AtOPT6 for regulation of the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. After cadmium (Cd) treatment, the concentration of the major phytochelatin PC2 was lower in flowers in the opt6 mutants and Cd was accumulated in roots of opt6 mutant plants compared with wild-type plants. These results suggest that AtOPT6 is likely to be involved in transporting GSH, PCs and Cd complexed with these thiols into sink organs. ispartof: Plant Cell Physiol vol:59 issue:7 pages:1443-1451 ispartof: location:Japan status: published