Production of overdense plasmas by launching 2,45 GHz electron cyclotron waves in a helical device

For production of low temperature plasmas with low collisionality, 2.45GHz microwave power up to 20kW is injected perpendicularly to the toroidal field at very low toroidal field BtComment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Maternal multivitamin intake and orofacial clefts in offspring: Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) cohort study

Objectives: Orofacial clefts are common birth defects with a lack of strong evidence regarding their association with maternal nutrition. We aimed to determine whether a relationship exists between maternal nutrient or multivitamin intake and orofacial clefts. Design: This is a prospective, population-based nationwide cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted in 15 regional centres, consisting of local administrative units and study areas. Participants: A total of 98 787 eligible mother–child pairs of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study were included. Intervention: Exposures were maternal nutrition and the use of supplemental multivitamins in mothers. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Outcomes were the occurrence of any orofacial cleft at birth. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between maternal multivitamin intake and the incidence of orofacial clefts. Results: Of the 98 787 children, 69 (0.07%) were diagnosed with cleft lip alone, 113 (0.11%) were diagnosed with cleft lip and palate, and 52 (0.05%) were diagnosed with cleft palate within 1 month after birth. Regarding the total orofacial cleft outcome, statistically significant point estimates of relative risk ratios (RR) were determined for multivitamin intake before pregnancy (RR=1.71; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.77) and during the first trimester (RR=2.00; 95% CI 1.18 to 3.37), but the association was not significant for multivitamin intake after the first trimester (RR=1.34; 95% CI 0.59 to 3.01). Maternal micronutrient intake via food was not associated with the incidence of orofacial clefts in offspring. Conclusions: Intake of multivitamin supplements shortly before conception or during the first trimester of pregnancy was found to be associated with an increased incidence of orofacial clefts at birth. Pregnant women and those intending to become pregnant should be advised of the potential risks of multivitamin supplementation

Eicosapentaenoic acid conversion by cytochrome P450 BM-3 and its mutants to bio- active epoxide derivatives

Oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids such as resolvin and protectin are promising functional lipids because they have strong anti-inflammatory effect1). Recently, dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was found to exert anti-allergic effect through the conversion to 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid in the gut2). These findings promoted the studies on enzymatic EPA epoxydation to bio-active derivatives. We screened P450 BM-3 and its mutants with rationally modified substrate binding site for conversion of EPA with existence of NADPH regeneration system and ROS decomposing system, catalase. Through the screening, some mutants were found to produce several products (UK1, 2, 3, and 4). Then, these products were purified and identified with LC-MS, NMR, and GC-MS. Finally, these products were identified: UK1 was 14,15:17,18-diepoxy-eicosatrienoic acid (14,15:17,18-DEpETr), UK2 was 17,18-epoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (17,18-EpETe), UK3 was 14,15-epoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (14,15-EpETe), UK4 was 11,12-epoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (11,12-EpETe). The reaction conditions were optimized with P450 BM-3 mutants, and under the optimized conditions, mutant Al4_Ile converted 0.5 mg/ml EPA to 0.20 mg/ml 11,12-EpETe (conversion rate: 38.0% mol/mol). Mutant F87A converted 0.5 mg/ml EPA to 0.19 mg/ml 14,15-EpETe (conversion rate: 36.1% mol/mol). Wild type P450 BM-3 converted 0.5 mg/ml EPA to 0.38 mg/ml 17,18-EpETe (conversion rate: 72.2% mol/mol). Mutant L7V converted 0.5 mg/ml EPA to 0.075 mg/ml 14,15:17,18-DEpETr (conversion rate: 13.5% mol/mol). Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Experimental Simulation of High Temperature Plasma Transport Using Almost Dimensionally Similar Cold Plasmas in the Compact Helical System

In the Compact Helical System (CHS), experimental simulation of high temperature plasma transport is attempted by using cold plasma having similar dimensionless parameters such as electron-ion collision frequency normalized by bounce frequency v*ei, averaged toroidal beta value βt and the normalized gyro radius ρs*. The cold plasma is produced by 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron waves at very low toroidal field less than 0.1 T, and has v*ei ~ 0.05?1, βt < 0.02 % and ρs* ~ 0.02?0.05. The radial profiles of fluctuation amplitude have similarity to those in a high temperature plasma. In the cold plasma with low v*ei < 0.1, internal transport barrier is clearly formed in electron density and temperature profiles when the radial electric field rapidly evolves to positive value

EPA介護福祉士候補者に対する自律学習支援法考案の手がかりとして

departmental bulletin pape

Daily expression of a clock gene in the brain and pituitary of the Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus)

Recent studies have revealed that, in addition to regulating the circadian system, clock genes such as cryptochrome (Cry) genes are involved in seasonal and lunar rhythmicity in fish. This study clarified the transcriptional characteristics of a Cry subtype (mgCry2) in the brain of the Malabar grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus, which is an important aquaculture species that spawns around the new moon. The cDNA sequence of mgCry2 showed high identity (97-99%) with fish Cry2 and had an open reading frame encoding a protein with 170 amino acids. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that mgCRY2 had high identity with CRY in other fish species. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed the widespread distribution of mgCry2 in neural (brain, pituitary, and retina) and peripheral (heart, liver, kidney, spleen, gill, intestine, and ovary) tissues. When immature Malabar groupers were reared under a light-dark cycle (LD=12:12) and the amounts of mgCry2 mRNA in the telencephalon and diencephalon were measured at 4-h intervals, the levels increased during photophase and decreased during scotophase. Day-night variation in mgCry2 mRNA abundance was also observed in the pituitary. These daily profiles suggest that mgCry2 is a light-responsive gene in neural tissues. In situ hybridization analyses showed that mgCry2 was strongly transcribed in the nucleus lateralis tuberis of the ventral hypothalamus, peripheral area of the proximal pars distalis, and the pars intermedia of the pituitary. We conclude that clock genes expressed in the pituitary and diencephalon play a role in entraining the endocrine network of the Malabar grouper to periodic changes in external cues

Changes in mRNA abundance of insulin-like growth factors in the brain and liver of a tropical damselfish, Chrysiptera cyanea, in relation to seasonal and food-manipulated reproduction

Food availability can become a factor driving the reproductive activity of tropical fish, particularly when primary production within their habitats fluctuates with tropical monsoons. The present study examined the involvement of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in controlling the reproduction of the sapphire devil Chrysiptera cyanea, a reef-associated damselfish that is capable of manipulating its reproductive activity based on food availability. We cloned and characterized the cDNAs of igf1 and igf2 and determined their transcript levels in relation to seasonal and food-manipulated reproduction. The partial cDNAs of sapphire devil igf1 and igf2 had open reading frames (ORFs) composed of 600 bp (155 amino acid residue) and 636 bp (211 aa), respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that IGF1 and IGF2 of the sapphire devil were clustered into those of teleosts. The gonadosomatic index increased from March to June. Vitellogenic oocytes and ovulatory follicles were observed in ovaries from May to June, which suggests that the spawning season lasts for at least 2 months. The hepatosomatic index, but not the condition factor, increased in March and June. The transcript levels of igf1 in the brain, but not in the liver, increased in April, June (vitellogenesis) and July (post vitellogenesis). Ovarian activity during the spawning season was maintained by high food supply (HH) for 30 days, although it was suppressed in the food-restriction treatment (LL) and restored in the re-feeding treatment (LH). The transcript levels of igfs in the brain, but not in the liver, in LH were lower than those in HH and LL. Moreover, immersing fish in seawater containing estradiol-17β suppressed transcript levels of igfs in the liver, but not in the brain. We conclude that reproductive activity during the spawning season is influenced by nutritive conditions and that crosstalk exists between the reproductive and growth network in the neural and peripheral tissues, thus controlling the reproductive activity of this species

Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization to Reduce Size of Hepatocellular Carcinoma before Radiofrequency Ablation

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is often performed before radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TACE prior to RFA can expand the ablated area and reduce the tumor size, facilitating complete ablation. However, the factors correlated with size reduction remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with size reduction by TACE and develop a formula to predict the reduction rate. A total of 100 HCC patients treated with TACE followed by RFA at least 20 days later were enrolled. The tumor size was measured at the time of TACE and RFA, and correlations between the reduction rate and 13 clinical factors were examined. A formula to predict the reduction rate was built using the factors obtained by the analysis. Reduction in the tumor size was observed in 69 nodules, and the median reduction rate was 16.2%. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that a large tumor size (p< 0.01) and a long interval between the therapies (p= 0.01) were factors for a high tumor reduction rate, with tumor size more strongly related to the degree of reduction. A size reduction of more than 10% can be expected by waiting 20 days after TACE when the size of the tumor at TACE is over 25 mm in diameter. The tumor siz

A three-component monooxygenase from Rhodococcus wratislaviensis may expand industrial applications of bacterial enzymes

地球外有機化合物に対する微生物代謝の解明から全く新規な酵素系を発見 --生命分子進化の理解や産業応用に期待--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-01-20.The high-valent iron-oxo species formed in the non-heme diiron enzymes have high oxidative reactivity and catalyze difficult chemical reactions. Although the hydroxylation of inert methyl groups is an industrially promising reaction, utilizing non-heme diiron enzymes as such a biocatalyst has been difficult. Here we show a three-component monooxygenase system for the selective terminal hydroxylation of α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) into α-methyl-D-serine. It consists of the hydroxylase component, AibH1H2, and the electron transfer component. Aib hydroxylation is the initial step of Aib catabolism in Rhodococcus wratislaviensis C31-06, which has been fully elucidated through a proteome analysis. The crystal structure analysis revealed that AibH1H2 forms a heterotetramer of two amidohydrolase superfamily proteins, of which AibHm2 is a non-heme diiron protein and functions as a catalytic subunit. The Aib monooxygenase was demonstrated to be a promising biocatalyst that is suitable for bioprocesses in which the inert C–H bond in methyl groups need to be activated