Lens spaces obtainable by surgery on doubly primitive knots

In this paper, we consider which lens spaces are obtainable by Dehn surgery described by Berge on doubly primitive knots. It is given an algorithm to decide whether a given lens space is obtainable by such surgery. Also included is a complete characterization of such surgery yielding lens spaces with Klein bottles.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

NMR and mutational identification of the collagen-binding site of the chaperone Hsp47.

Heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47) acts as a client-specific chaperone for collagen and plays a vital role in collagen maturation and the consequent embryonic development. In addition, this protein can be a potential target for the treatment of fibrosis. Despite its physiological and pathological importance, little is currently known about the collagen-binding mode of Hsp47 from a structural aspect. Here, we describe an NMR study that was conducted to identify the collagen-binding site of Hsp47. We used chicken Hsp47, which has higher solubility than its human counterpart, and applied a selective (15)N-labeling method targeting its tryptophan and histidine residues. Spectral assignments were made based on site-directed mutagenesis of the individual residues. By inspecting the spectral changes that were observed upon interaction with a trimeric collagen peptide and the mutational data, we successfully mapped the collagen-binding site in the B/C β-barrel domain and a nearby loop in a 3D-homology model based upon a serpin fold. This conclusion was confirmed by mutational analysis. Our findings provide a molecular basis for the design of compounds that target the interaction between Hsp47 and procollagen as therapeutics for fibrotic diseases

Nitric oxide-cGMP signaling regulates axonal elongation during optic nerve regeneration in the goldfish in vitro and in vivo

金沢大学医薬保健研究域　医学系Nitric oxide (NO) signaling results in both neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects in CNS and PNS neurons, respectively, after nerve lesioning. We investigated the role of NO signaling on optic nerve regeneration in the goldfish (Carassius auratus). NADPH diaphorase staining revealed that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was up-regulated primarily in the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) 5-40 days after axotomy. Levels of neuronal NOS (nNOS) mRNA and protein also increased in the RGCs alone during this period. This period (5-40 days) overlapped with the process of axonal elongation during regeneration of the goldfish optic nerve. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of NO signaling molecules upon neurite outgrowth from adult goldfish axotomized RGCs in culture. NO donors and dibutyryl cGMP increased neurite outgrowth dose-dependently. In contrast, a nNOS inhibitor and small interfering RNA, specific for the nNOS gene, suppressed neurite outgrowth from the injured RGCs. Intra-ocular dibutyryl cGMP promoted the axonal regeneration from injured RGCs in vivo. None of these molecules had an effect on cell death/survival in this culture system. This is the first report showing that NO-cGMP signaling pathway through nNOS activation is involved in neuroregeneration in fish CNS neurons after nerve lesioning. © 2009 International Society for Neurochemistry.出版社許諾要件により、2010年9月より全文公開

ニホン ニ オケル セッショク ショウガイ ベイコク ト ノ ヒカク

近年、日本においてメタボリックシンドロームの患者数は増加する一方で、若い女性のやせの増加がうかがえる。日本における摂食障害の発症頻度は1990年代後半から急激に増加し欧米の国々と肩を並べてきている。しかし、欧米のように、日本ではここ10年間のきちんとした全国的な疫学調査がなされていない。また、日本では管理栄養士が介入した摂食障害の栄養指導はあまり行われてないのが現状である。これまでに米国の摂食障害の状況や摂食障害治療における米国の管理栄養士の役割と日本の現状を比較した論文は見当たらない。したがって、アメリカ合衆国と比較しながら、日本の摂食障害の現状をまとめた。その結果、管理栄養士が摂食障害治療チームに加わり栄養療法を行えるように、正確な実態を把握するための全国的な調査の必要性および摂食障害治療における栄養療法の重要性を示し、管理栄養士の役割を見出した。Although the number of patients with metabolic syndrome has been increasing recently, young females are still more likely to become thin. The incidence rate of eating disorders has been increasing rapidly since the late 1990\u27s and growing closer to that of Western countries. In contrast to the Western countries we looked at in our study, there has been no national epidemiological survey in the past 10 years in Japan. Additionally, it is still not common that registered dietitians join in treatment of eating disorders and provide nutrition therapy in Japan. Thus, this paper gave the outline of eating disorders in Japan by summarizing and comparing with the situation in the United States. This study revealed the importance of large national epidemiological surveys, medical nutrition therapy, and the role of registered dietitians in order to encourage registered dietitians to provide nutrition therapy by joining the teams treating eating disorders

カガク リョウホウカ 二 アル マッキ カンサイボウ ガン カンジャ ノ アエン ケツボウ

末期肝細胞癌患者では栄養状態の悪化が多く見られ,これは予後を左右する重要な因子である。化学療法目的で入院した 33名の IV 期肝細胞癌患者で,食事摂取状況と臨床検査データとの関連を調べた。血清中の直接ビリルビン,間接ビリルビン,LDH, AST, ALT, ALP, アルブミン,CRP, AFP さらに入院中の平均食事摂取率,食事摂取量,摂取エネルギー量,摂取食塩相当量,鉄摂取量,亜鉛摂取量,ビタミンK 摂取量および年齢を変数として重相関分析を行った。食事摂取率に影響を及ぼしているものは CRP と AFP であり,CRP に影響を及ぼしているものは亜鉛摂取量であった。亜鉛摂取量に影響を及ぼしているものは CRP と AFP であり,亜鉛摂取量はアルブミンにも影響を及ぼしていた。以上の結果から,亜鉛欠乏は本病状と深い関係があることを示しており,これらの患者においてこの問題を改善することが必要と考える。Malnutrition frequently occurs in end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and can influence survival in the patients. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships between clinical and dietary indices in the patients. The clinical data of 33 patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (stage IV) who had been hospitalized to receive chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. A multiple regression analysis was performed based on the blood data (albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, LDH, ALP, -fetoprotein, and C-reactive protein) and the mean values of daily dietary indices (intake rate, dietary intake, energy intake, NaCl intake, iron intake, zinc intake, and vitamin K intake) during hospitalization. Both the intake rate and the zinc intake were significantly correlated with the C-reactive protein and -fetoprotein levels, while the albumin level was significantly correlated with the zinc intake and the ALT level. These results showed that zinc deficiency is correlated with a relatively poor prognosis. Thus, it is necessary to improve the problem in the affected patients

DIASTOLIC LEFT VENTRICULAR RELAXATION IN NEONATES

Tissue Doppler velocity during early diastole (e’) is one of the most feasible and reproducible echocardiographic assessments to reflect active relaxation of the left ventricle. Although several reports have described the mechanisms of temporal diastolic dysfunction in the early neonatal period, factors influencing diastolic function have not been determined. The purpose of this study was to elucidate factors significantly influencing e’ in the early neonatal period. A total of 179 consecutive normal neonates underwent echocardiographic studies performed at 0 days and 5-10 days after birth. The statistical relationships between e’ and age, body weight, mean blood pressure, heart rate, shortening fraction of the left ventricle, peak systolic motion velocity (s’), early diastolic transmitral flow velocity over annulus velocity, Tei index, and diastolic wall strain (DWS) were analyzed. Between the 0 days and 5-10-days-after birth groups, significant differences were shown in mean blood pressure, shortening fraction of left ventricle, e’, and Tei index. Age, body weight, mean blood pressure, s’, and DWS showed significant correlations with e’. In multivariate regression analysis within these parameters, s’ (β = 0.6119, P < 0.0001) and DWS (β = 0.1216, P = 0.0321) showed positive correlations with e’. Longitudinal systolic motion velocity and ventricular wall stiffness of the left ventricle influence diastolic relaxation in normal neonates. Age, body weight, and circumferential systolic function are not significant factors

A Simple Method for MR Elastography: A Gradient-Echo Type Multi-Echo Sequence

To demonstrate the feasibility of a novel MR elastography (MRE) technique based on a conventional gradient-echo type multi-echo MR sequence which does not need additional bipolar magnetic field gradients (motion encoding gradient: MEG), yet is sensitive to vibration. In a gradient-echo type multi-echo MR sequence, several images are produced from each echo of the train with different echo times (TEs). If these echoes are synchronized with the vibration, each readout\u27s gradient lobes achieve a MEG-like effect, and the later generated echo causes a greater MEG-like effect. The sequence was tested for the tissue-mimicking agarose gel phantoms and the psoas major muscles of healthy volunteers. It was confirmed that the readout gradient lobes caused an MEG-like effect and the later TE images had higher sensitivity to vibrations. The magnitude image of later generated echo suffered the T2 decay and the susceptibility artifacts, but the wave image and elastogram of later generated echo were unaffected by these effects. In in vivo experiments, this method was able to measure the mean shear modulus of the psoas major muscle. From the results of phantom experiments and volunteer studies, it was shown that this method has clinical application potential