Gravitational waves detectable in laser interferometers from axion-SU(2) inflation

Chromo-natural inflation (CNI) is an inflationary model where an axion coupled with SU$(2)$ gauge fields acts as the inflaton. In CNI, the gauge fields have nonzero vacuum expectation values (VEVs), which results in the enhancement of gravitational waves (GWs). The original CNI is ruled out by the Planck observations due to the overproduction of GWs. In this work, we consider an inflationary model where the gauge fields acquire nonzero VEVs after the CMB modes exit the horizon. Moreover, we add to the model another field that dominates the universe and drives inflation after the axion starts to oscillate and the gauge field VEVs vanish. By performing numerical simulations, we find a parameter space where the enhanced GWs do not violate the CMB constraints and can be detected by the future GWs observations such as LISA, BBO, and ET.Comment: 20pages, 8 figure

Preliminary study of discrimination of human vocal commands in walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

Walruses seem to use various acoustic signals in social context. So, the auditory faculty is seems to be important for walruses. Can walruses understand another animals' vocal information using auditory sense? This study tested whether a male walrus could discriminate human vocal words and perform different actions corresponding to each one under various conditions. The subject, a male walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) named Pou, was set on the ground, and the experimenter spoke one of the ten words to the subject under the following conditions; (1) The experimenter stood close to the subject and spoke each vocal stimulus wearing a black cloak and goggles so that the experimenter's eye and body movements would not influence the subject's behavior, (2) A wooden board was placed between the experimenter and the subject so that the subject could not see the experimenter, (3) A wooden board was placed between the experimenter and the subject so that the subject could not to see the experimenter, and the experimenter uttered each vocal stimulus through an audio speaker. Under each condition, when the subject performed the correct action corresponding to the vocal stimulus, he was rewarded with a piece of fish. As a result, the subject responded correctly to almost all the human vocal stimuli in every condition, including when the speaker was not visible. This means that he was indeed responding to the vocal words and not the experimenter's cues. This study demonstrated that walruses can hear and identify human vocal words using their auditory sense and can form correspondence between vocal words and their meanings

TONS504-PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY INDUCES CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS IN EMT6 CELLS

In the present study, TONS504 (C51H58N8O5I2; molecular weight, 1,116.9), a novel cationic hydrophilic photosensitizer, was synthesized from protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester through a five‑step process according to a patented method for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The subcellular localization of TONS504 and the cytotoxic effects of TONS504‑mediated PDT in the mouse mammary tumor EMT6 cell line were investigated. TONS504 was localized primarily in the lysosomes and partially in the mitochondria. The cytotoxic effects of TONS504‑mediated PDT in the mouse mammary tumor EMT6 cell line were investigated using a WST8 assay and an Oxidative Stress kit. The cell viability values following treatment with 10 µg/ml TONS504 at light energies of 0, 1, 5 and 10 J/cm2 were 92.5, 101.8, 27.7 and 1.8%, respectively. The percentages of reactive oxygen species (ROS)(+) cells following the same treatment were 8.6, 8.5, 29.2 and 70.1%, respectively, whereas the percentages of apoptotic cells were 7.1, 5.6, 24.8 and 48.7%, respectively. The percentages of ROS(+) and apoptotic cells in the group subjected to TONS504‑mediated PDT increased in a manner dependent on the TONS504 concentration and light energy. Further studies are required to evaluate the in vivo pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and photodynamic effects of TONS504

Artesunate Enhances the Cytotoxicity of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Based Sonodynamic Therapy against Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells In Vitro

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) kills tumor cells through the synergistic effects of ultrasound (US) and a sonosensitizer agent. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been used as a sonodynamic sensitizer for cancer treatment. However, studies have shown that 5-ALA-based SDT has limited efficacy against malignant tumors. In this study, we examined whether artesunate (ART) could enhance the cytotoxicity of 5-ALA-based SDT against mouse mammary tumor (EMT-6) cells in vitro. In the ART, ART + US, ART + 5-ALA, and ART + 5-ALA + US groups, the cell survival rate correlated with ART concentration, and decreased with increasing concentrations of ART. Morphologically, many apoptotic and necrotic cells were observed in the ART + 5-ALA + US group. The percentage of reactive oxygen species-positive cells in the ART + 5-ALA + US group was also significantly higher than that in the 5-ALA group (p = 0.0228), and the cell death induced by ART + 5-ALA + US could be inhibited by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. These results show that ART offers great potential in enhancing the efficacy of 5-ALA-based SDT for the treatment of cancer. However, these results are only based on in vitro studies, and further in vivo studies are required

Effects of Oral Glucosamine Hydrochloride Administration on Plasma Free Amino Acid Concentrations in Dogs

We examined the effects of oral glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcN), N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and d-glucose (Glc) administration on plasma total free amino acid (PFAA) concentrations in dogs. The PFAA concentrations increased in the control group and the GlcNAc group at one hour after feeding, and each amino acid concentration increased. On the other hand, in the GlcN group and the Glc group PFAA concentrations decreased at one hour after feeding. A significant decrease in amino acid concentration was observed for glutamate, glycine and alanine. Our results suggest the existence of differences in PFAA dynamics after oral administration of GlcN and GlcNAc in dogs

Oral Administration of Surface-Deacetylated Chitin Nanofibers and Chitosan Inhibit 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Mice

This study investigated the prophylactic effects of orally administered surface-deacetylated chitin nanofibers (SDACNFs) and chitosan against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced intestinal mucositis, which is a common side effect of 5-FU chemotherapy. SDACNFs and chitosan abolished histological abnormalities associated with intestinal mucositis and suppressed hypoproliferation and apoptosis of intestinal crypt cells. These results indicate that SDACNF and chitosan are useful agents for preventing mucositis induced by anti-cancer drugs

Muscular contractions in the zebrafish embryo are necessary to reveal thiuram-induced notochord distortions

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 212 (2006): 24-34, doi:10.1016/j.taap.2005.06.016.Dithiocarbamates form a large group of chemicals that have numerous uses in agriculture and medicine. It has been reported that dithiocarbamates, including thiuram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide), cause wavy distortions of the notochord in zebrafish and other fish embryos. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism underlying the toxicity of thiuram in zebrafish embryos. When embryos were exposed to thiuram (2-1,000 nM: 0.48-240 µg/L) from 3 hours post fertilization (hpf) (30% epiboly) until 24 hpf (Prim-5), all embryos develop wavy notochords, disorganized somites, and have shortened yolk sac extensions. The thiuram response was specific and did not cause growth retardation or mortality at 24 hpf. The thiuram-dependent responses showed the same concentration dependence with a waterborne EC50 values of approximately 7 nM. Morphometric measurements revealed that thiuram does not affect the rate of notochord lengthening. However, the rate of overall body lengthening was significantly reduced in thiuram exposed animals. Other dithiocarbamates, such as ziram, caused similar malformations to thiuram. While expression of genes involved in somitogenesis was not affected, the levels of notochord specific transcripts were altered before and after the onset of malformations. Distortion of the notochord started precisely at 18 hpf, which is concomitant with onset of spontaneous rhythmic trunk contractions. Abolishment of spontaneous contractions using tricaine, α-bungarotoxin, and a paralytic mutant sofa potato, resulted in normal notochord morphology in the presence of thiuram. These results indicate that muscle activity is necessary to reveal the underlying functional deficit and suggest that the developmental target of dithiocarbamates impairs trunk plasticity through an unknown mechanism.This work was supported by grants-in-aid for scientific research from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (T.H. and H.T.), and grant-in-aid for JSPS fellows from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (W. D.), a grant-in-aid for High Technological Research Center (Rakuno Gakuen University) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan (H.T.), Technology, cooperative research from active research in Rakuno Gakuen University 2004-7 (H.T.), and NIH/NIEHS grants ES00210 and ES03850 (RT)