Effective procedure to develop alternative annotations of bacterial tRNA genes by means of deductive inference on the basis of characteristic tandems of tRNA genes

In a series of analysis of genomic DNA sequences, we have established an induction-deduction method to dig up hidden tRNA and rRNA genes from bacterial genome DNA sequences by means of a concept of a characteristic tRNA-gene tandem we have ldeveloped, and are accumulating information on positions of putative tRNA and rRNA genes to be proposed as alternative annotations to the DDBJ/GenBank/EMBL Database. We have searched the DNA sequences near the existing tRNA genes as golcondas for tRNA genes, and found mord than fifty genes, e.g. tRNA-Ser and tRNA-Met in [AB013377], and 5S rRNAs in [AE014192], [AE017000], and others. A part of miserable states of the Database was partly introduced, and it is discussd how such status will be disso1ved. In addition, we proposed some ideas to maintain and improve the DDBJ/GenBank/EMBL database

Influence of Cigarette Smoking on Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) in Japanese Male Workers

The link between changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and cigarette smoking was evaluated in Japanese male workers with a 5-year follow-up. We examined the data of 456 Japanese male workers, aged 22-70 years, who were taking no medications, and from this group, 286 men (43.5±8.2 years) were followed for 5-years. Habits of cigarette smoking were obtained during interviews by well-trained staff. The influence of cigarette smoking on eGFR was evaluated. In the first analysis, there was no significant difference in eGFR between subjects with and without cigarette smoking. In the second analysis, eGFR was significantly reduced after 5 years in all subjects. Changes in eGFR in subjects with cigarette smoking (－1.90±12.31ml/min/1.73m2) were significantly smaller than those in subjects without cigarette smoking (－4.97±12.05ml/min/1.73m2). At follow-up, we found that eGFR was weakly and negatively correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked (/day). The present study indicated that cigarette smoking may be an important modifiable factor for eGFR in Japanese male workers who are not taking any medications

Photoluminescence, morphology, and structure of hydrothermal ZnO implanted at room temperature with 60 keV Sn+ ions

Hydrothermal ZnO wafers implanted at room temperature with 60 keV Sn^+ ions are examined by means of photoluminescence (PL), atomic force spectroscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffractometry techniques. The PL intensity significantly decreases in the wafers implanted to doses of 4.1 × 10^[13] ions/cm^2 and higher. The AFM measurements indicate that surface roughness variation is not the cause of the significant decrease in PL intensity. Furthermore, the PL deep level (DL) band peak blueshifts after illuminating the implanted samples with the He-Cd laser 325 nm line; meanwhile, the DL band intensity first increases and then decreases with illumination time. These abnormal behaviors of the DL band are discussed

Inhibition of the mitochondria-shaping protein Opa1 restores sensitivity to Gefitinib in a lung adenocarcinomaresistant cell line

Drug resistance limits the efficacy of chemotherapy and targeted cancer treatments, calling for the identification of druggable targets to overcome it. Here we show that the mitochondria-shaping protein Opa1 participates in resistance against the tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line. Respiratory profiling revealed that oxidative metabolism was increased in this gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cell line. Accordingly, resistant cells depended on mitochondrial ATP generation, and their mitochondria were elongated with narrower cristae. In the resistant cells, levels of Opa1 were increased and its genetic or pharmacological inhibition reverted the mitochondrial morphology changes and sensitized them to gefitinib-induced cytochrome c release and apoptosis. In vivo, the size of gefitinib-resistant lung orthotopic tumors was reduced when gefitinib was combined with the specific Opa1 inhibitor MYLS22. The combo gefitinib-MYLS22 treatment increased tumor apoptosis and reduced its proliferation. Thus, the mitochondrial protein Opa1 participates in gefitinib resistance and can be targeted to overcome it

The New School Absentees Reporting System for Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 2009 Infection in Japan

Objective: To evaluate the new Japanese School Absentees Reporting System for Infectious Disease (SARSID) for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 infection in comparison with the National epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Disease (NESID). Methods:We used data of 53,223 students (97.7%) in Takamatsu city Japan. Data regarding school absentees in SARSID was compared with that in NESID from Oct 13, 2009 to Jan 12, 2010. Results: Similar trends were observed both in SARSID and NESID. However, the epidemic trend for influenza in SARSID was thought to be more sensitive than that in NESID. Conclusion: The epidemic trend for influenza among school-aged children could be easily and rapidly assessed by SARSID compared to NESID. SARSID might be useful for detecting the epidemic trend of influenza

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) for AKARI

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) is one of two focal plane instruments on the AKARI satellite. FIS has four photometric bands at 65, 90, 140, and 160 um, and uses two kinds of array detectors. The FIS arrays and optics are designed to sweep the sky with high spatial resolution and redundancy. The actual scan width is more than eight arcmin, and the pixel pitch is matches the diffraction limit of the telescope. Derived point spread functions (PSFs) from observations of asteroids are similar to the optical model. Significant excesses, however, are clearly seen around tails of the PSFs, whose contributions are about 30% of the total power. All FIS functions are operating well in orbit, and its performance meets the laboratory characterizations, except for the two longer wavelength bands, which are not performing as well as characterized. Furthermore, the FIS has a spectroscopic capability using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). Because the FTS takes advantage of the optics and detectors of the photometer, it can simultaneously make a spectral map. This paper summarizes the in-flight technical and operational performance of the FIS.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, and 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the AKARI special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japa

The Effect of Enzymatically Polymerised Polyphenols on CD4 Binding and Cytokine Production in Murine Splenocytes

High-molecular weight polymerised polyphenols have been shown to exhibit anti-influenza virus, anti-HIV, and anti-cancer activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulating activities of enzymatically polymerised polyphenols, and to clarify the underlying mechanisms of their effects. The cytokine-inducing activity of the enzymatically polymerised polyphenols derived from caffeic acid (CA), ferulic acid (FA), and p-coumaric acid (CoA) was investigated using murine splenocytes. Polymerised polyphenols, but not non-polymerised polyphenols, induced cytokine synthesis in murine splenocytes. Polymerised polyphenols induced several cytokines in murine splenocytes, with interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) being the most prominent. The underlying mechanisms of the effects of the polymerised polyphenols were then studied using neutralising antibodies and fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. Our results show that polymerised polyphenols increased IFN-γ and GM-CSF production in splenocytes. In addition, the anti-CD4 neutralised monoclonal antibody (mAb) inhibited polymerised polyphenol-induced IFN-γ and GM-CSF secretion. Moreover, polymerised polyphenols bound directly to a recombinant CD4 protein, and FACS analysis confirmed that interaction occurs between polymerised polyphenols and CD4 molecules expressed on the cell surface. In this study, we clearly demonstrated that enzymatic polymerisation confers immunoactivating potential to phenylpropanoic acids, and CD4 plays a key role in their cytokine-inducing activity