Venomics Study of <em>Protobothrops flavoviridis</em> Snake: How Venom Proteins Have Evolved and Diversified?

Venomics projects have been conducted to disclose the divergent profiles and evolution of various venomous animals. Here, we describe the venomics project including genome and transcriptome of habu snake, leading to drug discovery. Venomics project including the decoding of their whole genomes revealed partly a producing mechanism of various venom proteins including accelerated evolution and alternative splicing and how the toxic organisms have evolved from the nontoxic ones. In addition, the venomics analysis of transcriptomes and proteomes beyond species reveals the relationship between the geographical distribution and evolution of toxic organisms. The abundance of different gene products within a gene family caused by accelerated evolution and alternative splicing may contribute to expand the repertoire of effective weapons to prey capture accompanied with neofunctionalization

Anisotropy of upper critical fields and interface superconductivity in FeSe/SrTiO3 grown by PLD

In this study, we grow FeSe/SrTiO$_{3}$ with thicknesses of 4-19 nm using pulsed laser deposition and investigate their magneto-transport properties. The thinnest film (4 nm) exhibit negative Hall effect, indicating electron transfer into FeSe from the SrTiO$_{3}$ substrate. This is in agreement with reports on ultrathin FeSe/SrTiO$_{3}$ grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The upper critical field is found to exhibit large anisotropy ($\gamma >$ 11.9), estimated from the data near the transition temperature ($T_{\mathrm{c}}$). In particular, the estimated coherence lengths in the perpendicular direction are 0.15-0.27 nm, which are smaller than the c-axis length of FeSe, and are found to be almost independent of the total thicknesses of the films. These results indicate that superconductivity is confined at the interface of FeSe/SrTiO$_{3}$.Comment: 5pages, 3figure

Structures and Functions of C-type Lectins in Marine Invertebrates

Lectins distributing in all animal phyla form a diverse group of protein families that have in common the ability to recognize and bind certain carbohydrates. Although at least 13 animal lectin families are known to exist, many of marine invertebrate lectins are categorized in C-type lectin family, which was named from the Ca^-dependency for their carbohydrate binding activities. In contrast to a growing list of C-type lectins in marine invertebrates, their physiological roles are not fully understood. This review summarizes the structures and functions of marine invertebrate C-type lectins with our new findings

地磁気地電流法探査におけるウェーブレット変換及び独立成分分析を用いたノイズ低減による高精度な地下深部情報の推定

早稲田大学博士(工学)早大学位記番号:新9380doctoral thesi

Synthesis and Resist Properties of Calixarene Polymers with Pendant Haloalkyl Groups

We examined the condensation polymerization of t-butylcalix[8]arene (BCA[8]), p-t-butylcalix[4]arene (BCA[4]), and C-(4-t-butylbenz)calix[4]resorcinarene (BCRA[4]) with 1,3-adamantane dibromoacetate (ADB), yielding soluble polymers poly(BCA[8]-co-ADB), poly(BCA[4]-co-ADB), and poly(BCRA[4]-co-ADB), respectively. These polymers had good solubility, good film forming ability, and good thermal stability. It was anticipated that these polymers were applicable to positive-type resist materials. However, by the examination on the resist sensitivity using EUV exposure system, these polymers were applicable to negative type resist materials using THF as a developer. Furthermore, a negative clear resist pattern with 100nm resolution could be obtained by EB exposure system. These results indicated that poly(BCA[8]-co-ADB) and poly(BCRA[4]-co-ADB) have high potential to offer higher resolution negative pattern using EUV lithography system

Matrix isolation studies of 185 nm light-induced cage reactions of o-chlorobenzaldehyde

VUV light photolysis of o-chlorobenzaldehyde (CBA) has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy in cryogenic Ar and O-2 matrices. Previously reported photoinduced rotational isomerization from anti- to syn-CBA was confirmed in the Ar matrix. In addition, absorption bands associated with photoinduced rearrangement to benzoyl chloride were observed accompanying the weak bands due to the CO photolysis product. However, in the reactive O-2 matrix, isomerization was observed and there was no evidence of benzoyl chloride formation. A kinetic analysis revealed that rearrangement was a minor process under the present excitation energy. The TD-B3LYP calculations show that as the excitation energy increases the predissociation channel will open and the repulsive (1)(pi, sigma(c-a)*) and 1(eta, sigma(c-a)*) states are directly achievable by the 185 nm excitation. Photoinduced rearrangement will be caused by the reaction of thus dissociated cage pairs.ArticleJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE. 1025:48-52 (2012)journal articl

コウガイ キョウドウ ジュウタク キョジュウシャ ノ ジュウタク ニーズ ト マチナカ エノ テンキョ ノ ジュウカンキョウ ジョウケン ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

The purpose of this study is to consider how increase new residents in urban area. We asked the residents living in suburban apartment house about their intention of moving to urban area. Our survey included the questions about the needs of housing types and ambient environment such as supermarkets, bus stops and parks. We also tried to evaluate whether the housing facilities in urban area satisfy their needs. Additionally, we investigated the number of apartment houses located in the urban area and proposed a simple math formula to estimate the rates of vacant dwellings based on the number of houses and households. The study revealed that many apartment houses in urban area satisfied the needs of ambient environment. The current and future rates of vacant dwellings were different in each district in urban area

Electric field induced effects in Y3N@[C80]6- anionic solid

By measuring the i−vi−v characteristics of Y3N@[C80]6− anionic solid at various temperatures and electric field strengths, four conducting phases with i∝vi∝v , i∝v2i∝v2 with low resistance, i∝v4i∝v4 and i∝v2i∝v2 with high resistance were observed. First, at temperatures below 100 K and field strengths below 30 Vcm−1Vcm−1 , the current passing through the sample was a linear function of the d.c. bias voltage due to free moving charges. Second, at the same field strengths, the trapped carrier was thermally activated with activation energies of 13.6 meV for temperature range of 100−250100−250 K and 88.7 meV for 250−450250−450 K. In this conducting phase, the carrier transport was governed by space charge limited conduction mechanism. Third, when the electric field increased from 30 to 120 Vcm−1Vcm−1 , the ii became a quartic function of the vv because the carrier mobility is a quadratic function of the field strength. A conducting phase with high resistance was observed at temperatures below 100 K. The trapped carrier was thermally activated with activation energies of 146.5 meV for temperature range of 100−250100−250  K and 288.5 meV for 250−450250−450  K. Finally, in the electric field strengths of 120−2000120−2000 Vcm−1Vcm−1 , a high resistance phase appeared in the anionic solid at temperatures below 100 K. The current was a quadratic function of the d.c. bias voltage, and the carrier mobility was independent of the field strength

Osteocyte-Driven Downregulation of Snail Restrains Effects of Drd2 Inhibitors on Mammary Tumor Cells

While bone is a frequent target of breast cancer-associated metastasis, little is known about the effects of tumor-bone interactions on the efficacy of tumor-suppressing agents. Here we examined the effect of two FDA-approved dopamine modulators, fluphenazine and trifluoperazine, on mammary tumor cells, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes. These agents suppressed proliferation and migration of mammary tumor cells chiefly by antagonizing dopamine receptor D2 and reduced bone resorption by downregulating nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (Nfatc1). Three-dimensional spheroid formation assays revealed that tumor cells have high affinity to osteocytes and type I collagen, and interactions with osteocytes as well as administration of fluphenazine and trifluoperazine downregulated Snail and suppressed migratory behaviors. Unlike the inhibitory action of fluphenazine and trifluoperazine on tumor growth, tumor-osteocyte interactions stimulated tumor proliferation by upregulating NFκB and Akt. In the bone microenvironment, osteocytes downregulated Snail and acted as an attractant as well as a stimulant to mammary tumor cells. These results demonstrate that tumor-osteocyte interactions strengthen dopamine receptor-mediated suppression of tumor migration but weaken its inhibition of tumor proliferation in the osteocyte-rich bone microenvironment.Significance: These findings provide novel insight into the cellular cross-talk in the bone microevironment and the effects of dopamine modulators on mammary tumor cells and osteocytes. Cancer Res; 78(14); 3865-76. ©2018 AACR